Sunlight
by popcan11
Summary: I had spent my entire life drawing lines, daring people to cross them. Madge Undersee was the first person who ever did. A tale of Gale and Madge told in Alternating POV's through The Hunger Games.
1. Chapter 1

A/N:** Hello, I am Chelsea and not only is this my first ever Gale and Madge story, it is my first Hunger Games story. I am the BIGGEST fan and have been for years but I just recently got back into fanfiction and was scared to take on this genre for some reason. I feel ready now! I hope you enjoy the first chapter. The next chapter will be from Gale's POV. I have the darnest time staying in the past tense because I have a natural tednecy to want to write in the present but it's too hard for me. So, if you find tense mistakes, let me know! Please review! Thanks, guys!**

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I thought I knew everything there was to know about Gale Hawthorne. I thought I had memorized the color of his eyes, a dull grey that somehow still managed to shine in the sunlight. I thought I understood the definition of his muscles and the way they were more defined when he lifted up his heavy game bag. I thought I knew his smiles: the one he put on to charm a girl, the fake one he plastered on when people were actually making him angry and he was fighting the urge to scream down their throat, and his real one, which he only used around Katniss. I thought I knew Gale Hawthorne but truth of the matter was I didn't know where he began or where he ended. I didn't know a thing about him, not the real him.

But I was about to find out.

It all started that fateful day. The day of the reaping, less than an hour after Gale told me I was wearing a pretty dress, less than an hour after he was clearly angry at me because I was the mayors daughter and his name was in the reaping ball more times than I could ever even imagine, less than an hour after all of that, his best friend was walking up the stage to secure her place in the hunger games, to secure her certain death.

My heart broke at the sight. Katniss and I weren't super close but she was definitely one of the only people I considered a friend. We sat together at lunch and partnered up in gym class frequently. As I felt my heart getting crushed under the weight of the matter, I had a feeling Gale was feeling this way as well. Because as far apart as Gale and I were, we had something in common; we both cared about Katniss.

He had carried off a screaming and crying Prim only moments prior. Katniss had taken her place. She had done so because she was Katniss and Prim was her entire life. I searched for him and spotted his dark hair and tall frame over by Miss. Everdeen. I tried to read his expression, but it was impossible to read. His eyes were locked on Katniss, his lips pressed together tightly. He was hurting, no doubt, but he had to be brave. For Prim. For his siblings who were probably watching him now just as I was.

Effie Trinket was reaching into the bowl for the male tribute. I was suddenly scared to death it would be Gale. I shut my eyes and clenched my fists together tightly, holding my breath. And when she announced the name, it wasn't Gale. It was Peeta Mellark. I sighed in relief until the guilt nearly knocked the wind of me.

Peeta Mellark was good. He was pure. He was also clearly taken with Katniss. I had seen it. I had caught the way his eyes would linger on her as Katniss and I ate lunch or the way he would lick his lips and walk determinedly in her direction only to suddenly pivot and walk away, fear overwhelming him.

Peeta Mellark did not deserve this. Katniss Everdeen did not deserve this. Nobody deserved this.

Suddenly and with a certain level of urgency, they were pushing Katniss and Peeta off the stage and into the justice building. And without waiting a beat, I rushed after them. I had to talk to her. I had to say goodbye. I had to give her my pin. It would keep her safe, it would keep her brave, and it would keep her determined. If she had that pin, she could hold onto the hope that maybe she could win this thing.

The pin was my mothers. It was a mocking jay. I had noticed the way Gale's eyes peeked at it earlier. When my mother gave it to me, she told me as long as I had it, nothing bad could happen to me. Katniss needed this pin, yes. Maybe more for my sake than her own.

When I reached the building, I was directed over to a bench to wait for my turn. I saw Gale already sitting down, his head buried in his hands. He was running his fingers through his dark hair but he must've sensed someone in front of him because he looked up and dropped his hands into his lap.

We stared at each other for a long moment, trying to figure out what to say. I eventually just sat down next to him on the bench wordlessly because it was the only thing I could think of. He looked down at his hands and for a moment, he appeared so vulnerable. It was such a different look from his usual stability. It wasn't a bad look, though. It wasn't a bad look at all.

Gale and I had never been friends. We had known each other through our mutual friendship with Katniss but it had never gone beyond that. His rude comment about my superiority before the reaping was usual for our interactions. They were always heavy with the indication that Gale thought I was stuck up and pretentious. His comments to me always held double meanings.

Through all of that, I had yet to figure out my feelings towards Gale. I had always noticed him to a very detailed level. I had always been fascinated with him for some reason. Whether or not that fascination meant I was romantically interested in Gale was irrelevant. He was in love with Katniss. She was his best friend. I would never be anything more than the mayor's daughter to him, the girl with the pretty dress, the girl who would never understand what it was like to go to bed hungry.

Gale must've caught me staring because he lifted up his head and focused his eyes on a clock across the hall. I felt it was about time I said something, anything.

"She can do it, you know." I stated simply, not even bothering to look at him. My eyes found a spot on the floor to fixate on. "She can win."

There was no response for a moment and I briefly wondered if he had even heard me. And then, he spoke. "Yeah, I know."

A peacekeeper appeared in front of us and told us the next person could go in. I waited for Gale to get up but instead, he glanced over at me, meeting my blue eyes with his grey ones.

"You can go first." He said.

I didn't ask why. I figured if people didn't give me an explanation, it was because they didn't want to. Instead, I shrugged and stood up, following the peacekeeper down the hall and into her room.

Katniss looked surprised by my presence. I guess that made sense. We were friends by my standards but Katniss didn't use that word lightly. She probably considered us nothing more than lunch buddies. We didn't talk much. She wasn't a big talker.

I rushed up to her, ready to get this goodbye over with, ready to get her into the arena so she could come back home. I spoke with urgency. "They let you wear one thing from your district in the arena. One thing to remind you of home." I lifted the pin out of my pocket and pressed it into my palm before showing her. "Will you wear this?"

She stared at the pin as I held out my hand to her. A look of confusion washed over her expression.

"Your pin?" She asked incredulously.

"Here, I'll put it on your dress, all right?" I fixed the bird to her blue dress, securing it safely against the fabric. "Promise you'll wear it into the arena, Katniss? Promise?"

"Yes." She said quickly. She swallowed and stared at me for a moment. I leaned in and kissed her cheek as my goodbye. I didn't want to say the actual words; I didn't want them to become real.

I rushed out the door and run straight into Gale in the hall. He wordlessly made his way around me and was practically sprinting into her room. I stood there until the door closed behind him. Then with a sigh, I turned and walked home, counting my steps as I moved as a distraction from everything actually going on.

_One. Two. Three._

Katniss is going into the arena. She might die.

_Four. ._

Peeta Mellark will probably die. Along with many other innocent children.

_Seven. ._

And I couldn't do anything to stop it.

The distraction wasn't helping; it was only making matters worse. With a groan, I kicked at a stone on the ground and watched it fly through the air before falling back down about fifteen feet in front of me.

Once I reached my house, I swung open the front door and calmly walked up into my room. It wasn't until I was safely behind my locked door that I finally broke down. Sliding my back against the door frame, I fell to the floor and brought my knees up to my chest. And the tears that I had been holding back since her name was first announced finally come spilling out. I grabbed a pillow and sobbed into it until my throat was raw.

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**A/N: Again, please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

There were things that never made sense to me. Why it always seemed to rain on the days I needed game most, why I could never find my left hunting boot when I was in a hurry, why my mother insisted on cupping my face in her hands and staring at me like I was eight instead of eighteen. But nothing, and I mean _nothing_, made less sense to me than Madge Undersee.

From a distance, I would study her and the list of the reasons why I despised the mayor's daughter would rapidly grow. She thought she was better than me. She thought she could get away with anything. She didn't have to deal with the struggles I faced on a daily basis. She was never hungry, never cold, never on the verge of sickness or starvation.

Up close, however, Madge Undersee was none of those things. And when she didn't add up to the horrible person I had perceived her to be, things got complicated pretty quickly.

After I said goodbye to Katniss, I immediately headed towards the woods. I knew my mother was waiting for me at home. And there were things to do. And two families to feed now. And people to talk to and protect and a life to be led.

Screw it. Screw it all.

I missed her already. I missed her and wished more than anything else that I could be protecting her then. Why didn't I volunteer for Peeta? Why didn't I do everything in my power to be there for Katniss? I knew why, of course. I had to be there for her family. That was the deal we had made long ago. I just felt so helpless. How the hell was I supposed to protect her when she was miles away in an arena full of kids trying to rip her to shreds?

I reached the edge of the woods and leaned in to make sure the fence wasn't on. Then, I slipped under the wire and breathed in the fresh scent of the woods. _Home._

I walked about a mile in before finding an acceptable tree to lay down and lean against. As I closed my eyes and tried to think of anything_ but_ Katniss, snapshots of her face, smile, eyes, they all flashed before me. She was beautiful and stubborn and fearless in a way that I could never be. I never told her these things though.

And now I might never get the chance.

I cursed and picked up a twig just so I could break something in half. I threw the 2 pieces deeper into the woods and laid my head back down against the tree. Katniss might be dead in two weeks. Maybe less than that. Maybe she will be dead the moment she steps off her launch plate.

_"She can do it you know."_ Madge's words echoed in my head. _"She can win."_

She was right. Sitting here, doubting Katniss's ability wasn't going to help anything. Moping around like a love-sick puppy, feeling sorry for myself, none of this was doing any good. I had to have the same faith that Madge had. Of course I had sounded strong and sure when I said goodbye to Katniss, when I told her she was going to be the one to come home. Obviously I wasn't going to say, "You might die. Actually, you will probably die. But good luck, Katniss."

I had to be strong in front of her. But also, I had to be strong without her too.

With a sigh, I pulled myself up to my feet. No more moping. Katniss was going to be the victor. And I was going to do everything in my power to make sure of it. _Sponsors, _I thought as I walked back towards district twelve. _She needs sponsors._ I pulled the little change I had out of my pocket to count it. I had to buy my mother a small loaf of bread, which would cost me most of my money, but I would still have a few coins to spare. Once I reached the fence, I dipped under it and headed towards town.

I knew going into the bakers would be awkward but my mother really need some bread. Luckily, Peeta's witch of a mother wasn't up front at the registers. Instead, it was Peeta's father. He tried to greet me with a smile but it was so obviously forced and ended up more like a crooked smirk. I asked for a small white bread loaf and put the change on the counter. A few minutes later, he had a warm loaf wrapped up on the counter for me.

"Here you go, Gale."

"Thank you, Sir. And uh... I'm sorry about... Peeta." I staggered my words out of nervousness. This was so terribly awkward for the both of us.

Surprisingly, he gave me a real smile. It was sad, but yet it was authentic. "I'm truly sorry about Katniss as well. Great girl."

I nodded my head slowly. "Yeah... she is."

He stared at me for a moment longer. Then he sighed and patted the wrapped bread. "Better get this to your mother, before it gets cold."

I grabbed the bread and walked towards the door. Just as my head was reaching for the knob, his voice called over to me.

"And Gale?"

I turned around. "What?"

He opened his mouth to say something but then shook his head. "Nothing. Just enjoy the bread."

I eyed him curiously for a moment before heading outside. I tried to process what had just happened and why was acting so strange but I knew I really did have to hurry home before the bread got cold.

Once I was back in my house, I handed my mother the bread. She smiled at me graciously and held it to her cheek before commenting on how warm it still was. She cheerfully placed it on the counter and then checked her stew.

"Dinner will be ready in a moment, Gale. Get the kids from their rooms for me, would you?"

I nodded and walked down the hall, knocking on Rory and Vick's room. I pounded on the door twice and then knocked more gently on Posy's door. She came running out, her dark hair tied in a braid down her little back.

"Gale!" She squealed before jumping into my arms.

I squeezed her tight to my chest and spun her around. "Posy! How is my favorite sister?"

I set her back down on the ground and she giggled. "I am your only sister!"

"Oh, yeah? Imagine that."

"Mommy said you were bringing bread. Where is it!" She asked with much enthusiasm.

I laughed. "It's on the table. Calm down, you will get a slice."

She stuck her tongue out at me before skipping off into the kitchen. By this time, my brothers had finally made an appearance. I punched Rory in the arm playfully as I walked by and ruffled Vick's hair. I was happy to see my family after today's horrible events.

I was suddenly realizing just how quickly all I had could be taken away from me.

As I walked back into the kitchen, Posy was setting the table and begging me to sit down next to her. Just as I went to pull out my chair, something outside caught my eye through the window. Her blonde hair was falling down her shoulders in waves and her blue eyes looked puffy and red from crying. Her arms were wrapped around her chest. She looked miserable.

"I'll be right back." I said before stepping out the door. I don't know why I went outside that night, honestly. Something about seeing Madge walking alone in the seam with tear stained eyes was too fascinating to pass up.

Just as I shut the door behind me, she spotted me. She stopped in her tracks and stood there, staring.

"What are you doing in the seam?" I asked curiously.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "If I tell you, are you going to respond with some rude comment about my ultimate superiority as the mayor's daughter?"

I took a step towards her as my hands found their way into my pockets. "Probably something like that, yeah."

She rolled her eyes and kept walking away. "Have a good evening, Gale."

"Wait." I called out to her. She turned around swiftly and her hair swayed against her back and got caught in the sunlight. I blinked and brought my focus back up to her face. "I won't say anything mean."

She sighed and turned back towards me, walking in slow, peaceful strides. She stopped a few feet from me and looked up, meeting my eyes like she had in the justice building earlier that day. "I came to see Prim actually. I just wanted to make sure she was doing alright."

"Are _you_ doing alright?" I blurted out, noticing again how red her eyes were. The question came out as more of accusation than a question, as if she wasn't aloud to cry or something. _I am an idiot._

To my surprise, she didn't even blink an eye. "I am fine, Gale." She stated frigidly.

I nodded. "Alright. Well, I should get back inside."

"You do that." She said. Her voice was still harsh but she gave me a friendly smirk to let me know she was just playing.

I headed for my door then. I knew it was rude not to invite her for dinner but the last thing I wanted was Madge sharing a meal with me. Just because Katniss was friends with her didn't mean I had to like her. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way. I suppose it all went back to the fact that she was the mayor's daughter and therefore didn't have to work hard at anything. Whatever it was, she annoyed me.

I turned and saw her stepping away in the setting sun. Just as I was walking back inside, I caught her turn her head and glance back at me, her striking blue eyes catching my own. And with the pink and orange streaked sky behind her and the loose strands of her hair falling in front of her face, I couldn't help but think that if I was painter, this scene would make a beautiful piece of art.

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**A/N: Thanks for the reviews on chapter one and keep reviewing if you want me to continue. Hope you liked Gale's POV!**


	3. Chapter 3

"And the tributes of District 12; Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen!"

I watched as their carriage strolled by on the large TV screen set up in the town square. They were dazzling, stunning, perfect. They were literally on fire. It was obviously fake fire or they would've been burned to toast by now. I noticed their hands clasped tightly together, fingers interlaced, tying them together and presenting them as a _team_. I had never seen that done before but somehow, it worked. They complimented each other, they were strong and connected. I couldn't help but wonder what Gale thought of the gesture, however.

I fought the urge to search for him in the crowd. I didn't want to risk getting caught by him and appearing as a stalker of some sort. Besides, Gale had been a little rude to me when he saw me walking home from Prim's. I was used to Gale being snarky with me but did he really have to do it when he could clearly see I had been upset? _The nerve._

The opening ceremonies were coming to a close then. The peacekeepers released us back to our homes. I followed the endless stream of people walking out of the square. Suddenly, little hands slipped around my waist from behind me. I let out a squeal of surprise and turned to see Prim smirking.

"Hey, Madge. " She said innocently.

I tickled her in the side and she giggled, moving away from me and out of my reach. "You scared me, Prim!" I said with a laugh of my own.

"That was my plan! Anyways, what are you doing right now?"

"Just going home, why?"

Prim shrugged. "Thought we could spend time together again like the other night." She said timidly.

I had schoolwork to get done before tomorrow. I had chores that needed to be finished and my sick mother needed to be attended to. But I knew I couldn't say no to her. Especially with Katniss gone. She was trying to distract herself, which was good. We all needed a little distraction. I held on my hand for her to hold and she took it with a priceless grin.

"Sure, Prim. We can hang out."

I chatted with her mindlessly on the way to the seam. We talked about school, her goat, her favorite color, _anything_ but the hunger games to keep her mind away from her sister who would be fighting for her life in a few days time.

Reaching her small house, she opened the door and we stepped inside. Her mother was washing dishes with a wet rag and gave me a welcoming smile.

"Hello, Madge." She called to me sweetly.

"Hi, ." And because I was indeed the mayor's daughter and had been taught nothing but complete etiquette, I added, "Need help with those dishes?"

"Oh, dear, that is very sweet of you but I am fine. Thank you."

"Want to see my goat?" Prim asked with much enthusiasm.

I laughed. "Sure."

She led me back out the door and to the side of their house where her goat was kept in a small gated area.

Her goat was fast asleep but was apparently able to sense Prim's presence because it woke up. Prim turned around and grabbed a small handful of grain from a bucket. She held out her hand and the goat ate from it eagerly.

"Prim! Prim!" A tiny voice called from the front of the house. Prim whipped around just in time to catch the little girl in her arms who was running towards her at full force. It was Posy Hawthorne. And of course, trailing behind her was none other than Gale.

Posy wrapped her arms around Prim's neck and tucked her head under Prim's chin. The little girl stared at me and then lifted her head up curiously.

"Who are you?" She asked bluntly.

"Posy, use your manners." Gale instructed as he joined our little group by the goats pen.

I laughed and shook my head. "It's fine." I smiled at Posy and said thoughtfully, "I'm Madge."

She smiled back and exclaimed, "What's your favorite color, Madge? Mine is pink!"

I thought for a moment. I had never really even thought about my favorite color before. After a moment, I said, "Yellow. Like the sun."

Posy jumped down from Prim's arms and stood on her tiptoes to catch a glimpse of the goat. "Hi, Lady!" She yelled.

Gale ruffled her hair and smiled down at his little sister. I couldn't help but find the gesture absolutely adorable. I caught myself staring at them with the dumbest smirk on my face. Licking my lips, I directed my attention back to the goat.

Posy jumped up and down and tucked at the hem of Prim's dress. "Prim! Can I feed Lady!"

She nodded. "Of course! Grab a little grain from that bucket over there."

Posy did as she was told and Gale lifted her up so she was taller than the gate. She held out her hand and giggled when Lady ate from it.

I laughed and Posy looked over at me. "Madge, your turn!"

I shook my head quickly. "Oh, no. That's okay. I'll pass."

Posy narrowed her little eyes at me and frowned. "Why? You don't like Lady?"

"Oh, of course I do. I just... you do such a good job at-at... feeding Lady that I can't even compete." I stumbled over my own words.

Gale smirked and stood up, crossing his arms over his chest. "Feeding a goat is a job that is far beneath one suitable for the mayor's daughter, Posy." He said with mockery. Gale spoke those words not for his little sister, but for me. To make me angry.

Which they did.

With a huff, I walked over and dipped my hand into the grain. Then, coming back over, I hesitantly held out my hand to the goat. I could feel Gale's eyes on me. Trying my hardest not to make any type of expression when the goats tongue met the palm of my hand, I accidently let out a yelp. It was barely audible but Gale still caught it. And his satisfied smirk proved that.

I pulled my hand back slowly and swallowed. "See? I can do it."

Gale nodded while still wearing that stupid smirk. "Right."

I sighed. I couldn't win with him, could I? I had just proved everything he thought about me to be true. I was pompous. I was above feeding goats. I was the stuck up daughter of the mayor of district 12. Of course, I had only reacted that way because I had never fed a goat before. But saying that out loud would only make me seem even shallower.

Feeding the goat had provided me the key to winning over Posy's heart, however. She ran over and jumped into my arms. She stared at my eyes and told me they were the prettiest blue she had ever seen. I couldn't help but beam at the little girl. She was very amusing.

"Gale, have you seen Madge's eyes? Come look how pretty they are!"

I turned an unmistakable shade of deep red. Gale looked towards the ground awkwardly and tried to laugh off her comment. His laugh came out shaky and unsure.

"Posy, we should really get home. Dinner will be served soon."

"Madge and Prim can come!" She shouted.

Prim shook her head, "I wish I could, Posy but I have schoolwork to get to."

"I do too." I blurted out quickly.

Posy frowned. "Come on! You guys gave to come!"

Prim and I exchanged a timid glance. Gale was still silent. Posy jumped down from my arms and ran over to his side. She hugged his left thigh and smiled up at him innocently.

Gale sighed and glared at Posy. Finally, after a long moment he looked up and said through gritted teeth, "Prim and Madge, would you like to have dinner with us?"

Prim laughed. "Next time, okay?"

I gave her an annoyed look. She was leaving me out in the cold. I couldn't say no at that point or I would look completely rude. I pressed my lips together tightly and breathed out through my nose.

"Sure, I'll come." I mumbled.

Half an hour later, I found myself sitting across from Gale at his kitchen table, sharing dinner with him and his family. He did not look too pleased to have me there, which made the entire situation even more awkward. On the other hand, his mother was overjoyed to have me join them.

"Madge's favorite color is yellow, like the sun!" Posy told her mother, who smiled over at me and gave me a quick wink.

"And yours is pink!" I commented.

Posy nodded. "Pink is the best color."

Her mother said, "I bet your brothers agree."

Rory and Vick both cried out, "Eww!" at the same time. Posy giggled and I couldn't help but notice Gale fighting the urge to laugh at the little encounter.

"Alright, it is time for bed, little ones!" Their mother said before clapping her hands together.

The boys groaned and Posy started to pout. Gale stood up and started clearing the table. I stood up to help but he brushed me off quickly and told me to sit back down. His mother grabbed the plates from Gale. "I got it, Gale. Walk Madge home, it's dark."

"Mom, I think she can-"

"Gale!" She whispered harshly.

He sighed and looked over at me. "Let me walk you home." He said unenthusiastically.

"Thank you for dinner, !"

"Oh, you are welcome, Madge. Come again anytime!"

Posy ran up and hugged my waist tightly. "Bye, Madge!"

"Bye, Posy. I will see you another time, alright?"

"Alright! Night, Gale." She hugged him as well.

We stepped outside into the cool, evening wind. We walked in sync and in silence for a while. To my surprise, Gale spoke up first.

"My sister really seems to like you."

I nodded my head. "She's great. I wish I had siblings."

"More mouths to feed, more chances of your life being ripped out from under you with the games, more horrible opportunities. Yeah, it's great." He replied sharply.

I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. "Pessimism won't get you anywhere in life, Gale."

"Sorry, it's probably hard for a town girl to understand." He muttered.

"Have you ever wondered why you're so quick to judge me?" I blurted out. "Maybe because you're afraid to actually get to know me."

Gale laughed and stopped walking so he could turn and look at me. I did the same, narrowing my eyes at him in the low light. "Oh, I know you, Madge."

"Enlighten me, Gale."

"You _want _to believe that you're not stuck up and above everything from the seam but wanting something doesn't make it true. You are above all of this! And you want to desperately be able to say that you're not because then you can feel like we are on the same level or the same page but we are none of those things! We aren't even in the same book. You're sunshine and flowers and I am the cold and dark reality that you will never have to witness.

"_You_,Madge Undersee, are privileged and nothing you say or do will change that. We are forever separated because of it. You don't have to hunt in the woods to feed your family or go days without a full meal or spend your free time exchanging spools of thread for something more necessary and because of that, you _are _superior. Whether you like it or not, you are."

He was out of my breath by the end of his little speech. I stared him down for a good long minute until he got uncomfortable and shifted his gaze to the ground. I spoke my words carefully and with a sense of calmness. "We are only separated in your mind because you want us to be, Gale. As long as you can keep thinking that I'm the snobbish mayor's daughter you have desperately convinced yourself that I am, then you can keep being the arrogant and cold boy you have always pretended to be. You don't want me to be different than you originally thought because then you no longer have an excuse to be so rude to me. I am only superior because you _want_ me to be superior."

For a moment, he looked impressed with my speech. And then, he rolled his eyes and began walking forward again. I followed him and we didn't speak again until we reached my door.

"Goodnight, Gale." I said indifferently, meeting his gaze.

He sighed and kept his eyes glued on my own. "You know, you might be right about one thing." He said quietly.

"About what?"

"I like having the excuse to be mean to you." And with that, he walked away. No goodbye, no goodnight, just the sound of his steps fading away into the darkening night. It wasn't until the door was closed behind me did I realize that I was shaking. _Did I just say those things to Gale Hawthorne?_

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**A/N: Please review and check out the trailer I made for this fanfiction on youtube! **

**[YOUTUBE].com/watch?v=8rI4lpwcISw&list=UU_CbqDmuiOH_afiN8z9O0Ow&index=1&feature=plcp**


	4. Chapter 4

Fire invaded my dreams that night. Katniss and Peeta were there in the middle of it all. They were untouched by the flames and holding hands and Peeta was looking at her the way I wish she would look at me.

Madge was there too. But she wasn't on fire. She was watching the flames with an intense expression that I couldn't peel my eyes away from. I said her name and she turned, startled. Her eyes were a deeper blue than usual. Behind her the sun was rising, the yellow bleeding across the sky. _Yellow, like the sun._ Her favorite color was yellow. Suddenly and without warning, she walked away from me and towards the sun. I yelled at her to come back but she didn't hear me. She walked straight into it, fading away into the scorching yellow star.

Then I woke up sweating and gasping for air. It wasn't a nightmare. The sun wasn't going to hurt her. In fact, the sun suited her. It was as if she was just going home, like that's where she belonged. Of course, all of this was nonsense and the moment I stood up, I shook my head and cleared away the absurd dream.

The image of Madge watching the flames wouldn't leave me, though. Madge wasn't fire but she had a spark to her. I had seen it the previous night when she defended herself with strong and reliable words that didn't fail her. She was more than just a pretty face. She was a fighter. This made her intriguing to me in a way that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

After I went hunting for the morning and dragged over a squirrel for , I walked back home and got ready for school. It wouldn't be long before I would be done with school. Then, it was off to the mines. I tried to not think about it. The longer I could pretend it wasn't happening, the longer I could hold off the fear and dread.

I found myself drifting through the day in almost a ghost like state. I couldn't pay attention in my classes but I wasn't distracted either. I was just... there. Not thinking. Not doing anything really.

It wasn't until after lunch that something caught my attention. I was in the hallway when I saw her. Her blue eyes were fluttering over to mine, catching me off guard with their intensity. Her blonde locks were pulled back into a low ponytail, the loose strands tucked behind her ears. Her dress was black today. _A dark color for such a colorful girl, _I thought. It did compliment her well, though. Especially her hair.

She continued to stare at me until another boy startled her, coming up from behind and saying something close to her ear. She jumped and whipped around to face him. He smirked but she looked disgusted and annoyed. I should've just kept on walking but I found myself watching them instead.

"If it isn't Madge Undersee, the pretty mayor's girl." He said dryly.

Madge crossed her arms over her chest. "If it isn't Tollin Crestfell, the lonely boy with no friends or life."

"I had a friend. Peeta Mellark. Until the capitol took him away."

Madge rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Don't pretend like you were his friend just because he's a town's kid as well. I never even had seen you speak to him."

This boy apparently named Tollin scoffed at her. "And don't pretend like you actually care."

"I _do_ care."

"You're just glad you will never be in that arena. Must be nice to be the mayor's daughter."

She looked like someone had slapped her across the face. There it was again. She couldn't avoid it, could she? It was everywhere. The automatic criticism over something she had no control over. And I had been the worst of all. Treating her like trash because she had more money than me, because she had the better life. _But did she really? Did she even have friends beside Katniss?_

Probably not. Because everywhere she went, people were jumping down her throat over being the mayor's daughter. Myself included.

Madge swallowed and looked him square in the eye. "My name goes in that ball just like everybody else's."

Tollin shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe your dad pays the capitol off to save his precious, pretty girl."

Madge stood up a little taller. "I am going to walk away now. Not because you're right because you are so completely and utterly mistaken that it's almost humorous, but because you could not possibly be worth even a second more of my time. Have a good day, Tollin."

She whipped back around and walked away with confidence. There it was again. The spark I didn't know she had, the fight that she hid until she absolutely needed it. A flame, but not a fire. She didn't look at me as she passed but I sure as hell looked at her. And as I stood there in the middle of the hallway, I realized the list of reasons why I despised Madge was no longer growing, but shrinking rapidly. Because you can't despise someone you are starting to respect.

* * *

Peeta pulled off an eight in training scores. It was actually pretty impressive for someone like him. The really shock was Katniss and her eleven. I wanted to be happy for her, but all I could think about was how much more of a target she was now. How it would irk the careers to no end, how they would finally realize she was stronger than they originally thought. And how they would stop at nothing to make sure she ended up dead.

I tried to ignore the coverage as much as possible but when it was time for the interviews a few days later, I was forced into the square like the rest of district 12. I stepped into the crowd and easily spotted Madge a few feet ahead of me. I made my way towards her. I am not sure why, honestly. I guess it was just nice to see a familiar face.

"Hey." I said.

She turned and looked up at me. She gave me a small smile and responded, "Hi, Gale."

The interviews started then. I tried to pay attention, but I was too distracted by watching _Madge _pay attention. The way her face was locked onto the screen, the way she kept scrunching up the hem of her dress in her hands, the way her tongue played on the edges of her lips, wetting them over and over again. It was all so damn distracting.

Before I even knew what was happening, Katniss was taking her place. She looked... stunning. She wore a long, sparkling dress. It was the color of fire. She was pretty awkward at first; she didn't seem to know what was really going on.

She spun around in her dress, which turned into another synthetic fire, until she was too dizzy to even stand. She was giggling, like for one split second, she was actually enjoying this. I wanted to puke. Once Prim was brought up, she was acting like herself again.

"And what did she say to you? After the reaping?

"She asked me to try really hard to win." She answered quietly, sincerely, heartbreakingly.

Caesar asked softly, "And what did you say?"

"I swore I would."

"I bet you did."

The buzzer went off and Katniss left the stage right before Peeta was brought on. Him and Ceaser were smelling each other and the crowd was going wild. He was a natural in front of the camera. He was like-able. It was annoying. I tried to focus on Madge's lips again but then Caesar was asking about a girl and my focus was brought right back up to the screen.

"Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the reaping."

I froze and felt Madge freeze next to me as well. _Don't say it, Peeta. _I thought to myself.

"She have another fellow?" Caesar asked.

"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her."

"Don't say it." I whispered out loud. I felt Madge's eyes turn towards me.

Caesar gave some encouraging words about winning to which Peeta responded that winning wouldn't help in his case.

"Why ever not?" Caesar asked, surprised.

"Because... because... she came here with me." He stammered out.

"Damn it, Peeta!" I yelled. I whipped around and stormed out of the crowd, out the square. I heard her call my name but I ignored it.

I was walking faster than she could keep up with.

"Gale, just listen to me!" She called to me.

"What does he think he's doing! Saying stuff like that in front of the entire nation!" I yelled while I kept trudging forward.

"He did her a favor!" She called.

I stopped walking and turned around suddenly. She wasn't expecting it and nearly ran right into me. She looked up at me slowly.

"How do you figure!" I snapped.

Madge sighed. "Every guy in Panem is in love with her now! The heartbreaker, Katniss Everdeen. She's desirable, more desirable than they she could ever appear on her own. She's going to have sponsors now and a lot of them, all because of Peeta. Gale, he may have just saved her life."

She's right. Completely right. It still takes me a moment to calm down. I stand there, catching my breath and focusing on the ground. After a few minutes, I look up and meet her eyes. She's looking at me with such a puzzled expression that I can't help but ask.

"What?"

"You love her, don't you? I mean, I guess I always suspected it but I didn't realize how much until right now. You're in love with her." She said. It wasn't a question anymore. It was a statement.

I didn't respond and looked back towards the ground. She sighed again and then said, "Do you want me to leave you alone?"

That was the last thing I wanted. But I couldn't say that. So instead, I replied, "Come to the woods with me."

She laughed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why? So you can see how the mayor's daughter handles the wilderness?"

I shook my head. "No. So you can see the reason why it's the only place in this stupid country I want to be right now."

"And you want to be there with me?" She asked curiously.

I shrugged. "You're not that bad, Madge."

She smirked. "Says the boy who told me a few nights ago that I was superior."

I laughed. "I say a lot of things. Are you coming or not?"

"Sure, I'll come."

When we reached the edge of district 12, I slipped under the fence and held out my hand to help Madge do the same. She didn't even hesitate as she slipped under it as well. She grabbed my hand tightly and I pulled her towards me. For a moment, we were only a few inches apart. I looked down at her and could feel her breath ticking my neck. Our eyes locked and I noticed for the first time that up-close, they really were a deep blue. I had never seen the ocean in person before but I had seen pictures in schoolbooks and I realized just how much her eyes reminded me of the ocean.

Sunlight. Fire. The ocean. There was so much more to Madge than I had ever thought possible.

She pulled back and I snapped out of my trance. I led her through the woods and up onto my favorite hill. It had the best view of the forest. We sat on the very top of the hill looking out into the deep and seemingly never ending woods.

Madge gasped at the view. "It's beautiful."

I smiled and laid down on my back. I slipped my hands behind my head as a pillow. Madge followed suit.

"You said that day in the justice building that she can win. You really believe that?" I asked.

"Of course I do. Don't you?"

"Yeah, I mean I have doubts but I know she can really do it. The alternative is unthinkable, anyways."

"She's strong, smart, quick on her feet. She'll be fine." Madge said with confidence.

"One slip." I muttered. "Prim had one slip in that entire bowl and her name was pulled. You had more of a chance of getting your name drawn and that's saying something."

Madge sat up on her elbows and turned her head towards me. "What an ironic twist that would've been. My name gets drawn right after you told me I wasn't going to the capitol. Sometimes, I wish it had been. So people would stop assuming my name's not even in there."

I frowned and sat up on my elbows as well. "Look, I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize before how many times people must say stuff like that to you and how it might actually _hurt_ you. I didn't know."

Madge narrowed her eyes at me, trying to see if I'm being sincere or not. She replied, "It's alright. I'm used to it. And I can't blame you. You're right. I have no idea what it's like to go hungry or have thirty slips in the bowl."

"I can't blame you for something that you can't control, though. So, I'm sorry." I said simply.

She smiled at me quickly before laying back down. She didn't say anything for a long moment. And then she replied, "I needed a moment to let that sink in."

"What?"

"Gale Hawthorne apologizing to me."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Don't get used to it, Madge."

* * *

**A/N: I don't get very many reviews so if you guys are reading this; can you PLEASE drop off a review? You know you like it when your stories get them as well so help a sister out!**


	5. Chapter 5

My fingers danced over the keys. I closed my eyes, attempting to lose myself in the sweet and beautiful sound the keys produced. I tried to reach and grasp my escape from reality that only the piano could provide me with. As I played, I thought of the events of the night before. How Gale had taken me to the woods. _His_ woods. More specifically, _Katniss_ and Gale's woods. How he had apologized for always calling me out on being the mayor's daughter. How we had spent the evening on that hill, just talking.

How I could not stop replaying the entire scenario in my head over and over again like a little school girl.

No matter how hard I tried to concentrate on the music, I couldn't completely lose myself in it like usual. With a frustrated sigh, I stood up and shut the fall board. My father came into the room then.

"Morning, Madge. You should get out there, the games are starting soon!" He said enthusiastically.

I forced a small smile. "Wouldn't wanna miss even a moment of that."

He gave me a frown and narrowed his eyes at me. "Honey, don't start. You know I hate the games just as much as you."

It was a risky thing for the mayor to say. But that was my father. He didn't support nearly any of the decisions of the capitol but he had to shut his mouth to protect me and my mother and himself. This was life. We didn't have to like it but that didn't change a thing. Nothing would ever change.

I crossed the room to where he stood and he fixed the bow in my hair. I had my loose curls pulled back to the base of my neck. He kissed my forehead and held me close to his chest.

'Is mother feeling well enough to join us in the square?" I asked tentatively.

He pulled me back, his hands on my shoulders now squeezing them gently. "Oh, Madge. I'm afraid not."

I sighed. "Alright. I'll see you in the square." I managed a small smile before I twisted around and headed out the door.

The air was chilly that morning. I crossed my arms tightly over my chest, trying to keep myself warm. When I reached the square, it was already far too crowded. I stood towards the back awkwardly until Prim came up beside me. She ran into my arms right before she started bawling.

I crouched down on my knees and met her at eye level. "Prim, you need to listen to me." I said softly. Prim nodded through her tears. "Katniss is going to be just fine. You know that. We all know that. She is going to be the next victor of the 74th hunger games. Do you believe it?"

Prim only stared at me through her tears.

I shook her shoulders gently. "You_ have_ to believe it." My voice broke on the word _have_. I was such a wreck. I could not break down in front of Prim. There was no way I would let myself.

Prim shook her head firmly. She whispered, "I believe it."

I smiled and only nodded because I knew if I tried to talk, I would start crying. It was so important that she knew Katniss could do it too. Because if everybody didn't believe with me that she could come home, then I would lose faith myself and I needed all the faith I could obtain at the moment.

I stood back up but pulled Prim close to my side. The games were beginning. The second the gong went off, I realized how badly I didn't want to watch this. How I couldn't watch this. Especially when I saw Katniss step off her circle and scuffle forward a few feet, confused. _What is she doing! Has she gone mad? Do something, Katniss! _I thought to myself.

I pulled Prim closer to my side and forced my eyes to stay open. She grabbed a nearby sheet of plastic and a loaf of bread. Then she dashed forward for an orange backpack. Another boy reached it at the same time, however. They fought for a moment until he was coughing up blood on Katniss's face. Clove, the girl from district 2, had killed him. She sprinted towards Katniss and I couldn't help it. My eyes shut.

_No, Madge. Open your eyes. Now! _I said to myself as I willed my eyes to open. Just as a knife went hurling towards Katniss, she lifted her backpack over her head and the knife lodged in the fabric of the pack. Katniss ran straight towards the woods and disappeared behind the trees. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"She made it, Prim." I whispered.

Prim relaxed against me and looked up at me with a smile. "She's going to do it, Madge. She's going to win. I know it."

We watched the rest of the blood bath until things calmed down. With dead, mangled bodies all over the field, they finally sent us to school. I held Prim's hand and walked her to her classroom. My mind was elsewhere of course.

All those children. Dead. In a matter of minutes. Katniss could've been one of them. Peeta could've been one of them. It was such a confusing emotion. To be happy that your friends didn't die but at the same time, trying to work out what to feel for the innocent children who did. Every time a tribute was killed, Katniss was closer to winning. I wanted other children to die. How twisted was that? The capitol not only makes those children monsters, it makes every single person watching a monster as well.

I had never hated myself as much as I did in that moment.

"Are you alright?" Prim asked me. We were standing in front of her classroom but frankly, I'm not quite sure how we got there.

I nodded and touched her cheek. "I'm fine. Go on in."

She waved goodbye and stepped into her room. I turned around and walked towards my own class.

With every step, the conflicting emotions overcame me. I couldn't glorify the deaths of these children. I couldn't be happy every time one of them died just because it meant Katniss's survival. I wouldn't let the capitol turn me into a monster. They didn't get to have the satisfaction of watching me morph into the very thing they wanted me to be.

After I had spent the majority of the day working out these feelings, I wasn't in much of a good mood by the time school ended. I walked with a scowl planted firmly on my face and with my arms crossed over my chest.

I didn't want to go home. I didn't feel like dealing with my parents. I didn't know where to go honestly. And somehow, my feet led me to the edge of the district. And I found myself slipping under the fence and crawling up to the very hill Gale had showed me the night before. And in the silence of the woods, I laid down and closed my eyes.

"What are you doing here!" His voice called down to me obnoxiously loud.

I sat up and gasped, completely startled. I held my hand to my chest and he laughed at the sight. I glared at him for a long moment before his laughing died down. I pointed my finger at him accusingly. "You _scared_ me! I'm not some prey, Gale. You can't just sneak up on me!"

He fought back another laugh and satisfied himself with a smirk when he saw my glare again. Then with a long sigh he said, "I'm sorry. You just looked so peaceful that I couldn't help but disturb you. But really, why are you in the woods again?"

I shrugged and stood up, dusting some dirt off the edges of my dress. "I don't know. Maybe I like the woods." I said defensively.

Gale held up his hands. "Hey, nobody said you didn't! Just curious is all."

"I was glad they died, Gale." I blurted out.

He cocked his head to the side in slight confusion. I couldn't help but find the gesture utterly charming. "Who?" He asked.

I sighed. "Those other tributes! Those other children. I... I wanted them to die. And I hate that I wanted that, you know?"

He watched my face for a moment, maybe trying to figure me out. I was still trying to figure myself out. I focused my attention on his gray eyes and noticed that if you looked closely, they had little green specks in them. His voice brought my attention back up, however.

"In order for her to come home, 23 other kids have to die. That's just the way it is." He said simply.

"But we end up rejoicing the death of kids! We don't want the capitol to have control over us but look at us, we are doing _exactly_ what they want."

I watched as stared at me with a look of surprise. "What a sight. Madge Undersee badmouthing the capitol."

I sighed. "I'm sorry I just-"

He cut me off by holding up his hand. "Never apologize for badmouthing the capitol. Just watch where you do it at. I'm just surprised. I didn't think you had it in you."

I smirked. "I guess I'm just full of surprises."

He smiled at me. Genuinely smiled. I felt my next breath catch in my throat at the sight. I coughed awkwardly.

"Guess you are." He said quietly. We stared at each other for a long moment before I dropped his gaze self-consciously.

"I should get home. I just came out here to escape reality for a moment." I said.

Gale nodded. "Want me to walk you home?"

_Yes. _"No, I'll be fine. You probably came out here to hunt anyways."

"I did, yeah." He licked his lips and captured my gaze one last time. "I'll see you around."

"I'll see you around."

With that, I turned and walked away, wanting him to follow me with every step I took. By the time I reached the fence, I even hesitated a moment before dipping under the opening. I was acting inane. I had told him not to walk me home so why was I so disappointed that he wasn't coming after me? That wasn't even logical.

When I was safely inside my house, I found myself at the piano once again. I took a deep breath before I placed my fingers on the keys. Forcing myself to rid all other thoughts of Gale, the games, my parents, the monster I was so afraid of becoming, I tuned into nothing but the music. I was playing Beethoven Sonata No. 8, which was one of my favorites to play. It was so uplifting and when I closed my eyes, I pictured a world with no hunger games, no deaths of innocent children, no capitol. I pictured the never ending woods and found myself running through them, laughing. It was such a pleasant sight. I'm not sure how long I played it for but when I finally did open my eyes again, the sun was setting just outside my window.

* * *

**A/N: I know not much happened in this chapter, sort of a filler chapter, really. I think I needed to have some inner struggles with Madge going on, though. It's important to understand that even though she's the mayors daughter, that doesn't mean she agrees with the capitol. In fact, you can see it is quite the opposite. Anyways, I got TONS of reviews last chapter so THANK YOU SO MUCH! And please, review again if you would be so kind!**


	6. Chapter 6

She was dying of thirst. Katniss was dying of thirst. And there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't watch. I couldn't _not_ watch either, though. Like some magnetic force was pulling me towards the TV, I found myself staring at it but frequently adverting my eyes away from the screen when she came on, crawling across the ground. Dying. In front of the entire nation.

Oh and where was Peeta, the boy who confessed his undying love and faithfulness to her during the interviews? He was with the careers. Typical.

It was her second day in the arena and she might not make it. I should have gone into that arena. I could have saved her, I could have helped her. She may have never forgave me for breaking our promise but I didn't know if I would ever forgive myself for letting her go into the games all alone.

I couldn't protect her from district 12. I couldn't save her life. I was powerless when it came to this situation.

As I helped clean the squirrel that I had caught earlier, I glanced up at the television that my family was gathered around with Prim.

"She is so close to water! What if she gives up and turns around!" Prim asked nervously.

Rory shrugged his shoulders from his place beside her on the couch. "She won't turn around. She knows for sure there is no water that way besides the lake, which would take her days to get to."

Posy was laying on her stomach on the floor, her hands under her chin as she looked through a picture book. She glanced up a the screen and then said, "Why does Katniss look so sad?"

Rory sighed. "She needs water, Posy."

Posy considered this for a moment and then said, "She will find some then. Katniss is good at finding things."

I smiled from my place in the kitchen. Leave it to Posy to bring the optimism in a moment like this. It reminded me of Madge, who never failed to look at things from a different perspective, who could probably make the most horrible story into something positive. And for a moment, I missed her. Which didn't make much sense, considering I had just seen her the other day when I found her in the woods again. And we were barely even friends.

My mother stood up from her place on the couch and came into the kitchen with me. She started helping me with the squirrel. After a moment of silence, she looked up at me and smiled.

"Gale, she will be alright."

I had been so focused on my thoughts of Madge that I didn't know who she was referring to. I stared at her with a blank expression, blinking. Suddenly, I realized she was talking about Katniss.

"Yeah, I know." I said simply.

"She's quite the fighter, that one. Just like you." She added before giving me a knowing smirk.

My mother had been doing that since Katniss and I had become friends. I knew everyone in the district assumed we would end up married one day. I had assumed it myself. I had hoped for it myself. But if she was determined to never marry, then she wouldn't change her mind. And I wasn't going to beg and whine for her affection. I loved her. I loved her more than I could ever say in actual words. I loved her so much and it hurt to love her because she was an idiot. She was stubborn and arrogant and just plain idiotic sometimes. But I wasn't going to be like Peeta. I wasn't going to confess my love to her like some pathetic boy. If she wanted a life of solitude, I would give it to her. Because that's what you do for people you love. You make them happy.

Even if it makes you miserable.

We turned off the TV for dinner and ate quietly. Posy, of course, didn't understand the meaning of quiet and talked to Prim the entire time. Prim seemed to enjoy the cheerful distraction. After we ate and cleaned up, I turned the television back on just to check on Katniss. No change. She still hadn't found the water that she was so close to. They had made a point at cutting the camera to the pond that was less than a few miles away from her. I cursed quietly to myself and left the room. I glanced out the window and saw it was still light out. Maybe I could kill some time in the woods. I didn't need to hunt, however. I knew what I could get, though.

Twenty minutes later, I gathered the ripe strawberries into a small basket. I had it so full, they were falling out of the basket and rolling onto the ground. I had this sinking feeling in my stomach that I was only doing all of this as an excuse to see Madge, the only person who could convince me that Katniss would truly be fine. Posy was a child, so what did she know? And my mother was only saying what she thought I wanted to hear. Madge actually believed in her words with this armor of confidence that I found unthinkingly alluring.

I thought about all of this as I made my way to her house. It wasn't long before I had my hand in the air, ready to knock. The sound of the piano stopped me, however. Whatever it was, it was a happy piece. It didn't fit with the dark world we were all apart of but it was beautiful, nonetheless. I listened for a moment more before I knocked on the door. The music stopped. A few seconds later, Madge opened the door looking slightly flushed. Her hair was falling in waves down her shoulders. She was wearing a simple blue dress that matched her eyes so perfectly well.

She seemed surprised by my presence. "Hi." She said tentatively.

I held up the basket of strawberries and a few more came tumbling down. She smiled and asked, "Those are all for me?"

"Freshly picked."

She nodded and held up her finger, telling me to wait a moment. She turned and started to walk into the other room when she suddenly whipped around and said, "Oh, and you can come inside!" Then she walked away again.

I walked into the doorway and glanced around. Everything looked so clean and nice and expensive. I felt so dirty in my hunting boots and wrinkled button up. So out of place. Madge returned with a few coins in her hand. I shook my head quickly.

"Don't worry about it."

She sighed. "Take the money, Gale."

"It's fine."

She rolled her eyes and yanked my hand up and dropped the coins into my palm. The contact of her skin against mine sent a rush of heat through my veins. She dropped her hand and crossed her arms across her chest with a satisfied expression.

I glared at her. "They are just strawberries." I put the money into my pocket anyway. I knew there wasn't a chance in hell she would take it back.

She shrugged. "But you had to pick them. Do you want something to drink or eat?"

She was so polite. Even with me. It was odd, seeing her in her fancy house with her fancy dress and not feeling all this hostility towards her. If I had been in this very position just a week ago, I would've been so angry at her. Angry that she was living in luxury while I was scraping by. I didn't feel angry, however. I felt a sense of calmness.

"No. I'm fine." And then a thought occurs to me. "That was you playing the piano, wasn't it?"

She swallowed. "Uh... yeah."

I nodded. "You're very good."

"Thanks. I've been playing since I was four. My father taught me."

"He taught you well, then." I said. I didn't know where all those compliments were coming from. When did I start giving those out so easily? And especially to Madge?

She gave me a genuine smile. "Thank you. And thanks for the strawberries. Have you been watching the games today?"

"Unfortunately."

Madge set the strawberries down on an end table. She looked up at me and shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry about her. She will find the water by morning. She's smart enough to realize that if Haymitch hasn't given her water yet it's because he knows how close she is. She will find the pond and be back on her feet by tomorrow afternoon." She said this all with a steady, sureness. Like there wasn't a doubt in her mind that this is what would happen. This is what I had meant when I said that Madge had a way of saying things, it made you believe in every word because she believed it so strongly.

"And Peeta being with the careers. What do you make of that?"

She laughed softly. "Gale, can't you see? If he keeps her biggest threats close, then he can protect her. If he pretends to be hunting her, he can keep her alive by being on the inside. It's a smart move, really."

Peeta was protecting her? Being with the careers was all part of his plan? Somehow, I believed this. The thought should have relieved me but instead, it made me hate Peeta even more. Because he was doing the one thing I couldn't.

Save her life.

"How do you get this stuff when I don't?" I asked curiously.

"I don't know. I guess I'm just good at figuring people out."

Before I could even think about it, the words were out of my mouth. "Have you figured me out yet?"

She stared at me for a long moment, a small smile playing on the edges of her lips. "No. I haven't."

I laughed. "Good. I like it that way." With confidence, I grabbed a strawberry out of the basket and bit into it. Then I turned and walked out the door. Half way across her front yard, I heard her call out to me.

"Hey, I paid for those!"

I turned around and held my hands out in the open air. Then I repeated my words from earlier with an air of cockiness. "They are just strawberries!"

This got Madge to really laugh. She had her hand to her mouth as she entered into a giggling fit. I watched her and found myself smiling at the sight. When did Madge become so damn adorable? Was she always this way and my perception of her was just blurry because of my hatred? I wasn't sure. But as I walked back home, only one thought consumed me.

Even her laugh sounded like music.

* * *

**A/N: I know it was a short chapter as well but that's because the next chapter is going be sort of long . THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS. You are so kind! Keep them coming so I keep finding the inspiration to write! REVIEW away, Panem children!**


	7. Chapter 7

I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned but sleep alluded me. I was oh so tired too. With a groan, I pulled back the covers and placed my feet on my cool, hardwood floor. My nightgown fell just below my knees. As quietly as possible, I walked down the steps and opened the back door. We had a garden behind the house with a beautiful carved bench that the capitol had given us a present once. I took a seat on the bench and pulled my knees up to my chest and crossed my arms over my legs. It was chilly out, but the cold cleared my cloudy head.

Was Gale _flirting_ with me? Our entire interaction from earlier had just been so... odd. I wasn't precisely sure what flirting actually was but from what I had heard, it involved a lot of laughing and smiling. Both of which had been present in our conversation. I leaned my head against the back of our house, wondering how we had come so far in such a short amount of time.

A week ago, he hated me. Now he was flirting with me. Flirting! But he was in love with Katniss. Which made sense. Who was I in comparison to the beautiful best friend? The girl with the bow and arrow, the girl on fire, the girl who could steal his heart away over and over again with nothing but a smile? I was just Madge. The girl with the pretty dress, the girl who liked strawberries, the girl who meant nothing to Gale Hawthorne. Because Gale flirted with a lot of girls. I saw him at school. I _watched _him do it. No, I was nothing to him. I was just somebody to take his mind off of Katniss. I was just a distraction. A pretty little distraction that would soon be forgotten.

I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't sit there and over think everything. I stormed back inside and crawled back into my room, getting comfortable under the covers once again. Although it took me a very long time, I eventually fell into a horrible, restless sleep for the remainder of the night.

When I awoke the following morning, the smell of eggs on the stove was filling the air. I walked down the steps and into the kitchen to see my father cooking. He smiled when he saw me and gave me a wave.

"Shouldn't you be at work?" I asked curiously before stepping into the kitchen.

He shrugged. "I can be late."

I shot him a puzzled look and he only smiled back in response. He was acting very odd. It wasn't until I noticed the TV was on that I figured out why. When I glanced at the screen, they were just showing a clip of the careers and Peeta walking through the forest. And then they cut to Katniss. She was sitting next to a pond, drinking water.

Drinking water!

I screamed and ran over to my father. "She found water!" I jumped up and he caught me in his arms. He squeezed me tight, lifting my feet off the ground. When he set me back down, I was smiling like a mad woman.

"She found the pond about an hour ago. Poor thing was nearly dead by then but she's alright, Madge. She's going to be alright."

"Of course she is. She's Katniss Everdeen." I said confidently.

"You're right. But I need to get to work and you need to get to school." He turned off the stove and brought the pan of eggs over to the table. Using a spatula, he scraped them onto a nearby plate. "Eat some of my delicious cooking before you leave, though."

I gave him a sympathetic smile. I normally cooked since my mother was far too ill to do so and my father was a horrible cook. His eggs weren't half bad, however. He kissed my forehead before grabbing his things and walking out the door. I quickly ate my breakfast before checking on my mother. She was fast asleep. I left a glass of water by her bedside with a piece of toast. She didn't eat much these days. I kissed her hand and then got ready for school. By the time I was out the door, I was running a little late.

Trying to hurry, I half walked/half sprinted to the school. By the time I got there, I was a little out of breath. I shoved my bag into my assigned locker and grabbed my notebook. When I closed the locker, Tollin Crestfell was standing there, smirking at me.

With a sigh, I asked, "What do you want?"

He shrugged. "Just checking up on my favorite girl."

I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Go away, please."

He laughed. "I bet you're used to things just disappearing on your command, aren't you?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You are so full of it."

He ignored me. "Saw you the other day with Hawthorne. Coming back from the woods."

"So?"

He snorted. "What's a pretty girl like you doing hanging out with a boy from the seam?"

I rolled my eyes, because I really couldn't handle a moment more of this insanity. "He's from the seam, so what! Besides, it's none of your business."

I turned to walk away then. Because I was already late to class. Because I was so utterly sick of him. And because he truly was an idiot. But suddenly and sharply, he grabbed my wrist, forcing me to stop. I twisted back around and tried to shake my wrist free but he was so much stronger than I was. He wouldn't budge.

"Let me go, Tollin." I said calmly.

He shook his head and leaned into me. My body froze in complete fear. His lips brushed my cheek as he whispered in my ear. "Not yet, pretty girl."

I pulled back immediately but at the same time, he let go of my wrist and slammed my back into the lockers. A sharp pain shot through me and I let out a yelp of pain. His hands had my wrists pinned against the lockers with a disgusting level of urgency. His breath was hot on my neck and when I tried to knee him in the gut or between the legs, he moved his body further back from me while still keeping his tight grip on me.

"I've always wondered what your lips would taste like." He said to me now, his voice low with desire.

I stared him down, determined to not give him the satisfaction of seeing me afraid. I was though. Of course I was. I wasn't Katniss. I wasn't brave. I wasn't fearless. I wasn't the girl who took her sisters place or the girl who crawled on her hands and knees when she was too weak to stand while looking for water. I wasn't equipped to handle situations like this.

Everybody was already in class. Nobody was out there but us. Nobody was there to protect me. I was on my own.

When his lips crashed into mine, I found him distracted for a split second and his grip loosened a little. I used this time to try to throw him off of me. It didn't work, however. He was still stronger than I was. He regained his grip and pushed me even harder into the lockers, his lips never leaving mine. I turned my head away from him but his lips still managed to find mine again. And when his hand slipped under the hem of my dress, I knew I had to keep fighting. I had to keep fighting like hell.

Maybe I wasn't Katniss. But I was Madge. And I was a fighter too. In an entirely different way but a fighter none the less. Just as I was about to kick him as hard as I possibly could, he was thrown off of me and onto the ground with forcefulness. I looked up and saw Gale standing there, completely livid. Tollin was back on his feet quickly and I watched as Gale stepped forward and punched his jaw with an incredible amount of momentum. Tollin tumbled to the ground again in pain.

"Don't you _ever_ touch her again! Actually, if you ever as much as _look _at her ever again, I will kill you! I will tear you to shreds! Now you better get the hell out of here or I swear, I will destroy you right now!" He screamed down to the crumpled body on the floor.

Tollin stood up slowly, cradling his face in his hands. He ran away from us without even looking back.

I stood there in complete and utter shock at everything that had just happened. Trying to catch my breath and stop myself from shaking, I looked up at Gale. He was watching Tollin run off with a certain level of hatred burning behind his eyes. Finally, he turned to me and ran to my side. His hand reached up to my right shoulder gently. I looked up and met his eyes with my own.

"Are you alright?" He asked me quietly, never letting go of my gaze.

I swallowed and because I was still terrified, because I was still in shock, because I was completely embarrassed, I yelled at him. "I didn't need your help! I was handling it, Gale!"

He dropped his hand from my shoulder and studied me carefully before replying in a calm and steady voice. "I was just going to my class when I heard something weird in the hall so I ran over here. I didn't even know it was you, Madge. I would've helped anyone. And you _weren't_ handling it."

" Look, I am fine, okay!" I snapped before crossing my arms over my chest and glaring up at him.

He shook his head. "No, you're not."

I had to prove to him that I was alright. So he would stop looking at me like a helpless, lost, little girl who needed a knight in shining armor to come and save her. So I could prove to him and to myself that I was brave. That I was my own kind of Katniss Everdeen. So I started to laugh. I laughed and laughed and said through my fit of giggles, "See! I'm fine! Completely fine."

And suddenly, my laughs weren't laughs anymore. They were cries. And I was sobbing. I was sobbing and unable to breathe, my body shaking and racking uncontrollably. And without warning, Gale pulled me into him. His hands wrapped around my small back, and I clutched to his shirt like it was my life line. My face was pressed up against his chest and I felt one of his hands go up and tangle itself in my hair.

I couldn't believe I was crying in front of Gale Hawthorne of all people. I couldn't believe I was letting him comfort me, I couldn't believe how weak I was letting myself appear. And I couldn't' stop the tears. And as embarrassed as I was at appearing so vulnerable, I didn't want him to let me go. Because out of all of the chaos and confusion of the past week, being inside of Gale's arms was the one thing that somehow felt right.

I pulled away eventually and wiped my face with the back of my hand. Gale kept one arm on my shoulder and met my gaze again. Surprisingly, he wasn't looking at me like I was some pathetic, sappy girl. He just looked concerned for me.

"Tollin weighs about twice as much as you. There was no way you could've fought him off. Don't feel weak, Madge. You are so far from it."

I only nodded my head in response because I knew if I said anything out loud, I would start to cry again.

"He may be stronger than you in physical strength but not in mentality."

I managed to get a few words out without breaking down again. "What do you mean?"

Gale looked off in the distance for a moment, choosing his words carefully. Finally, his eyes found mine again and he said, "You have a way with words. You never beat around the bush but you're never exactly blunt, either. Never rude but always truthful. You just know what to say and how to say it. You are strong in that way. You're very hard to figure out."

I managed a small smile. "And we already established that so are you."

He laughed quietly. "We make an interesting team then."

We both stared at each other and Gale's words must've finally reached his brain because he looked away, slightly flushed. He had unconsciously referred to us as a team, a unit, a pair.

He brought the subject back to Tollin quickly to avoid any further awkwardness. "Screw him, Madge. Don't let him get to you mentally. And I won't let him get you _physically._"

His hand on my shoulder dropped away lazily and we both straightened up. "Thank you." I said mostly because I really had no idea what else to say.

He shrugged and smirked at me. "I should be thanking you. I had an excuse to punch someone." He looked at me again with a intense level of concern. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"I have to get to class." I said not even bothering to hide the disappointment.

"Says who?" Gale asked playfully.

"I've never skipped before."

"Then today is a beautiful day to start." He said in a hushed voice that sent shivers down my spine.

And before I knew what I was doing, I was following him down the hallway and out the doors. And then we were running through the school yard, laughing hysterically because we were acting like little children. As I ran beside him, my lungs filling up with the crisp morning air, the sound of our laughter mixing in with the birds singing morning songs, I knew that if this was what falling in love felt like, I wouldn't mind falling forever.

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**A/N: So, yeah that was a little bit longer and I was going to keep going, but I decided to have the next part happen in Gale's POV so it will be next chapter! Hope you enjoyed this! PLEASE review! And thanks for the amazing reviews you have already left me, I love you guys! Happy reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

I led her deeper into the woods than I ever had before. It was quite the walk but she didn't complain, not even when the terrain got muddy, rocky, and steep. I looked back and saw the hem of her dress splashed with mud and smiled to myself. She noticed and narrowed her eyes at me playfully but didn't say anything. We stopped to rest at a tree a few miles in. I handed her my canister of water and she drank from it thirstily.

She handed it back to me and asked, "You're still not going to tell me where you're taking me?"

I shook my head. "What would be the fun in that?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "For all I know, you could be taking me deep into the woods to murder me, Hawthorne."

I laughed and smiled down at her. "If I murdered you, who would I bring strawberries to?"

"Oh, I'm sure you could find another girl from the town whose superiority drives you to the edges of insanity and frustration."

I started to walk backwards then, never taking me eyes off of her. "I might have to if you can't keep up, ."

She rolled her eyes and sprinted ahead of me, running at full speed. I heard her yell something about me being too old to keep up with _her_ and I ran towards her, laughing.

We finally reached the lake after another few miles and we were both breathing hard. Madge slumped down to the ground near the edge of the water and tried to catch her breath. I followed suit and sat down next to her. I watched as her eyes drifted to the water.

"It's pretty." She said when her breathing finally returned to something slightly resembling normal.

I nodded. "Katniss and I catch our fish here."

She laid down on her back, her hair sprawled out around her head and closed her eyes. "It's even more peaceful here than at the start of the woods."

"You know how to swim?" I asked, an idea tugging on the edges of my consciousness.

Madge sat up slowly, watching my face carefully. "Yes... why?"

I pulled off my shirt and threw it to the ground in response. I kicked off my shoes too. Leaving on my pants, I stepped into the icy water and dove under, letting the shock of the cold take over all my thoughts. When I pulled back to the surface, I gasped and swore from the sting the water was leaving on my skin.

Madge stared at me like I was insane.

I treaded water as I asked, "You scared of a little cold, Madge?"

Her expression was unreadable as she stood to her feet and kept her eyes fixed on mine. Then she reached behind her back and untied her dress. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of her hands fumbling behind her. Her dress fell to her ground and she stepped out of it and then she took off her shoes. She wasn't naked, obviously. She had on blue shorts and a blue undershirt, but my eyes still trailed down her body from head to toe. The way her shoulder blades were slightly visible, the way a streak of her stomach was showing from where her undershirt didn't quite reach the top of her shorts. And her legs. Her legs were toned and long and seemingly never ending.

I wasn't sure how long I gawked at her but my stare didn't go unnoticed. She couldn't hide the smirk that was finding it's way to her mouth as she slipped into the water. She yelled out from the shock of the cold.

I coughed, finally regaining control of my eyes and mind. "Go under and get it over with. You'll get used to it quicker."

She nodded slowly and dipped under the water, disappearing for a moment. When she came back to the surface, she was shivering and yelping. I laughed at her and she splashed me a couple of times.

"See? Isn't this fun?" I asked.

"Oh, yes. I love freezing to death in the comfort of a lake!" She replied dryly.

This got me to splash her back. And she screamed in response. She swam closer to me and tried to dunk me under the water. I practically lifted her off of me and threw her a few feet into the air. She landed back in the water. I swam over to her and couldn't help but smile when she glared at me.

"You, Gale Hawthorne, are a world class jerk."

"Somebody's got to keep you grounded so you don't get sucked into the fame and fortune of your own mayor lifestyle."

She laughed. "So you get me all muddy and then force me to swim in a icy cold lake? That's your idea of keeping me grounded?"

"Best I could come up with at the moment."

She laughed again and I found myself staring at her. Her wet hair sticking to her face and making her even more beautiful than usual. She truly was one hell of a girl. All those years I had spent despising her when behind all those pretty dresses and fancy shoes, there was a girl who stood her ground, a girl who was surprisingly confident and brave, a girl who fought for the things she believed in, a girl who kept me on the edge of my seat.

I stared at her lips that were turning purple and her chattering teeth. I looked up to her eyes again and found they were focused off in the distance, staring at nothing. Her mind was elsewhere.

"Hey." I said keeping my voice gentle.

She blinked and focused back on me.

"You sure you're okay?" I asked, referring to the events of the morning with Tollin.

She nodded her head slowly and shrugged her shoulders. "It wasn't a big deal, Gale."

"Stop doing that." I snapped.

"What?"

"Stop playing it off. Like assaulting you in the middle of the hallway isn't a _big deal._"And because she had me fired up again and I wasn't thinking clearly, I added, "Like you don't deserve to be treated a whole hell of a lot better than that."

She licked her purple lips and exhaled loudly. "It's so easy for me to read people. It's like second nature to me. And yet, I can't seem to read you. I can't seem to put the pieces together."

"Like I said the other day, I don't want you to."

I didn't realize how close she was to me until I felt her warm breath on my frozen neck. "Why not?" She whispered.

I shrugged. "Because I like being a mystery to you. In the same way that you're a mystery to me."

"Remember that night you walked me home? I said you were afraid to get to know me. Are you still afraid?" She asked, swimming even _closer_ to me. I felt her legs touch my own and I wondered what it would feel like to run my hands down the length of them. The thought clouded my head and I had to remind myself to breathe in and out.

"_Are you still afraid?"_ She had asked me.

"Terrified." I whispered into the air, my voice barely audible.

She was breathing hard and staring at my lips and I knew she was wondering if I was going to kiss her. I was wondering it myself. Since when did I even want to kiss Madge? Or defend her against slime balls like Tollin? And then it hit me.

The girl who belonged to the sun was no longer just a girl. She was a girl that I cared about. A girl I wanted to kiss, protect, talk to. None of this made much sense in my head. Especially not with the always lingering thoughts of Katniss. In fact, Katniss and Madge together in the same place of my mind wasn't a welcoming thought.

So, I forced myself to pull away from her. To stop myself from doing something stupid like kissing her. Because somehow, I knew kissing Madge would be different than all the other girls I had mindlessly kissed. Somehow, a kiss like that would lodge itself into my brain and never leave.

I dove under the water and swam to the shore. Pulling myself out of the water, I found no relief from the cold in the air. In fact, I was even colder now that I was on dry land again. Madge dragged herself to the shore as well, shivering uncontrollably. I looked up towards the sky and saw a spot in the grass were the sun was shining and nodded my head towards it so Madge would know to join me there.

We walked over and dropped down on our backs, letting the sun dry our clothes as much as possible. We shivered and tried to laugh about the cold but we both knew it was almost unbearable. I picked up my dry shirt and threw it over to Madge.

"Here, wear this while you dry so you're not so cold."

She had the shirt scrunched up in her hands and was staring at me. She took a breath and said, "I could just wear my own dress while I dry, you know."

"No, then your dress would get wet."

"But so will your shirt."

I sighed and stared at her for a long moment. "I don't care, Madge. I'm not going to think any less of you if you put on my shirt so just do it, already."

"Fine." She mumbled before pulling the shirt over her head. There was no way to describe what her small petite frame looked like in my big shirt other than adorable. Her wet hair dripped down the front of it and I had to force myself to look away because I wasn't about to get caught staring at her again.

I laid back down and waited for the heat from the sun to dry us off. When we were finally almost dry, Madge slipped off my shirt and handed it back to me. She stepped into her dress and tied it back up. She squeezed out the remaining water from her hair as she put her shoes back on. We walked the many miles back to the fence in a comfortable silence.

We slipped back under it into the district and judging from the lack of children out and about, I knew school was still in session. Probably not for too long, however. I looked at the girl standing next to me, her light hair curling on its own accord due to the water, her blue eyes still as startling as ever, her lips finally pink again, and I knew I didn't want to part ways just yet.

"I'm pretty hungry." Madge said throwing a glance up at me. "How about you?"

I nodded. "Yeah, me too."

"Follow me, then." She said with a brilliant smile.

She led me through town, using the path behind the buildings so we would go unnoticed. We slipped into her house using the back door. When we were safely inside, she locked it behind her.

We stepped into the kitchen and she started pulling out food from all over the place. A loaf of bread, a cheese spread, blue berries, diced up turkey mixed in with noodles, and a pitcher of milk.

All of this could feed my family for a month. And here was Madge, pulling it out as if it was nothing. And to her, it probably wasn't. Once again, I found that I couldn't exactly be angry at her for this. None of this was her fault.

She saw me staring at all the food and she started to blush, as if finally realizing why I was so shocked. "I just...thought you wanted options."

She wasn't pitying me. She wasn't feeding me because I didn't get enough food. She was just being Madge. Kind and steady, pleasant and true. Because of this, I found myself waving off her apology and grabbing a slice of bread and buttering it. I took a bite and realized how hungry I truly was. I downed three slices before I had even taken a breath.

Madge threw some blue berries into her mouth and then snapped her fingers, as if remembering something. She walked into her living room and turned on the TV. I could see the screen from my place in the kitchen and so I continued to eat while they recapped the games. Katniss was asleep and safe as far as I could tell. Madge came back into the kitchen and took a slice of bread for herself.

"What would your father do if he knew you skipped school?" I asked curiously.

Madge suppressed a laugh and chewed her food before answering. "Probably give me a lecture on responsibility and education."

I nodded and took a sip of my milk. "What if you get caught?" I asked as I set my cup back down.

She shrugged. "Then it will be totally worth it." She looked up at me and smiled. It was such a genuine and pretty smile that nothing could've stopped me from smiling back.

We stayed that way, locked in each others eyes and smiles until a sound from the TV startled us. Madge and I both jumped up from our places at the table and ran into the living room. Just as we reached the couch, a wall of fire started descending on Katniss. She woke up, completely startled and ran as fast as she could away from the flames.

I heard Madge gasp from her place beside me and saw her hand come up to her mouth out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't help it when I muttered out loud, "Get the hell out of there, Katniss."

She ran as fast as she possibly could but apparently it wasn't fast enough. The edge of her jacket caught on fire but she quickly stomped it out. I was no longer breathing. I was fixed on the screen, torn between accepting the fact that she could die any moment and refusing to believe in anything but her safety.

She stopped and started puking and I wondered briefly what it would feel like to lose her forever. What my life would be like without her apart of me. It seemed unfathomable. It seemed like an impossible life because everything I was, everything I did, was tied to Katniss in one way or another. I would never be the same without her. When fireballs starting shooting at Katniss, I knew she wasn't likely to survive this attack. But damn it, she had to. She promised Prim, she promised me, she promised everybody that she would make it home. I would protect her family if she would protect herself. That was the deal we made. _Remember our deal_, I wanted to scream at her.

Her calf caught on fire and I had to look way. That could've been it. That could've been the moment I lost everything. But when I looked back at the screen, the attack was over and Katniss was stumbling towards a pond, finding instant relief in the cold water.

I was breathing again. I remembered Madge and turned to her. She bit her lip and looked up at me. "She's okay."

"Sort of." I said hesitantly. "Look at her nasty calf."

"It's treatable. Haymitch will send her some medicine."

"What if he doesn't?" I found myself saying more harshly than I had intended.

"He will." She said quickly.

Her overconfident prediction of Katniss had almost failed moments ago so I wasn't in the mood for another pep talk. "You don't know that!" I snapped.

She sighed. "What do you want me to say, Gale?"

"I just want you to stop being so sure of her fate. We just watched her almost burn to death! You can bet on her all you want but one misstep, one mistake, and she's dead!"

Madge glared at me. "Oh, I am sorry for believing in her. I am sorry that upsets you!" She yelled.

I laughed heartlessly. "Madge, you don't get it. I _want_ to believe and I try! I try because you are just so damn sure that I can't help it. But then I watch things like this, I watch her life almost end and I realize that even if we do believe, that won't save her life. We are so powerless here!"

She looked towards the ground for a long moment, not saying anything. When she met my eyes again, I saw they were glossed over and she tried to blink back the tears. "I believe because I can't imagine not believing, Gale. I believe because I refuse to accept her practicality inevitable death. And... I believe because it's the _only_ thing that keeps me from falling apart." Her voice broke and she swallowed hard, determined not to cry.

Her words hung in the air for a long time, neither of us daring to say anything. I wanted to go back in time to this morning, to our moments spent in the lake, to our playful banter and intense stares. I wanted to forget about the games and Katniss and the fact that no matter how much I ignored it, my best friend was still fighting for her life with every passing moment. No amount of time spent with Madge could make that not true.

So I walked away. I turned and walked out of her house without another word. She didn't stop me. She didn't call out to me. She stayed silent and still. And my walk turned into a run and then my run turned into a sprint. I sprinted through town, away from Madge and all the conflicting feelings that accompanied her. I ran with a forcefulness that I had never used before. Miles and miles away from the town and straight into the woods. It wasn't until I bent over, puking my guts out, that I realized how hard I was pushing myself. I fell against a tree, dizzy and winded.

I wasn't even sure why I was so mad. Because Madge never doubted Katniss's fate and I was jealous of that? Because seeing Katniss literally caught on fire reminded me that while I was nearly kissing another girl, she was barely avoiding death? I wasn't sure. But I did know that I missed her. And I loved her. And with her life riding on the line, I was going to have to start doing a whole lot more than just existing if I wanted her to come home.

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**A/N: Longest chapter yet! It all just poured out of me. I really enjoy this chapter! It's full of Gale and Madge interaction! I will get back to the other characters next chapter. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review and thank you all who've said they love my Gale and Madge! I love them as well, I love portraying Madge as confident and sure! It suits her! REVIEW AWAY.**


	9. Chapter 9

As I swirled my peas around my dinner plate, I missed out on most of my fathers attempts at conversation that night. He was speaking but I wasn't listening. Not really. I was too busy trying to decide what I felt about Gale storming out of my house earlier. I alternated between being angry at him for acting like a child and being sad that he had left in the first place. Anger and sadness only leads to more anger, however, because it's the easier emotion to have of the two. Nobody wants to admit they are sad for sadness is weakness. Thus, I decided to be angry. I didn't understand what got him so worked up in the first place. I thought he admired by optimism and my confidence in Katniss. I thought he looked to me for reassurance. I thought all these things but Gale had practically chewed my head off when I tried to convince him that Katniss would be fine.

"Madge? Are you even listening?"

I shot my head up and stared at my father. "Uh... what?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'll take that as a no."

I smiled at him. "Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."

He nodded. "I know it's tough this year with Katniss being in the games."

_Yeah, that is tough, _I thought. _But you know what's also tought? Falling for her best friend who is clearly so in love with her that it's almost humorous that you think for even the slightest of a second that you could ever have a chance with him._

"Sure is." Was all I _actually_ said to him.

My father picked up his plate and carried it to the sink. "Well," He said, turning around and leaning against the cupboard, "She's strong and true. She will make it."

I smiled up at my father. I definitely got my optimism from him. "Speaking of which, we should turn the games on and see how she's doing." I said before walking into the living room to turn on the TV. Just as the screen cut to Katniss, she was climbing up a tree. All it took was a camera shot to the people below her to know what she was climbing away from.

The careers. And Peeta.

When Cato tried to climb up after her, Katniss only climbed higher, the tree branches getting slimmer and slimmer underneath her feet. Cato crashed to the ground a few moments later. I couldn't help but exchange a smile with my father when we saw Cato's frustrated and embarrassed, cursing as he wiped the dirt off of his face.

When Glimmer tried to climb the tree and shoot Katniss with her bow, she missed completely and Katniss ended up un-lodging the arrow from the base of the tree and waving it around in a mocking fashion. After much discussion, the careers decided to wait until morning when Katniss would have to come down. Peeta was the one who came up with idea, actually. And I knew it was to protect her. Everything he had done was to protect her.

Katniss settled into her tree for the night but then noticed something across from her in the trees. It was Rue! The little girl from district 11. She pointed to something above Katniss and when the camera panned to it, I could see that it was a tracker jacker nest. I smirked to myself because I had figured out Rue's little plan one second before Katniss. She wanted Katniss to saw the branch off and send it crashing down to the careers. It was brilliant.

"I'm going up to bed, Madge. Don't stay up too late. You've got school in the morning." My father said.

I nodded and he kissed my forehead and headed upstairs. I focused back on the TV and watched as Katniss started to saw the branch away during the anthem. She doesn't get to finish though. The anthem ended and she crawled back down the tree a little. And that is where she got her first parachute.

I couldn't help but let out a squeal of joy for my dear friend. A sponsor gift! She finally got a gift! And it was ointment for her burns! Just like I had told Gale. I was right, after all. It wasn't until that moment that I realized how silly and petty our entire argument had been. What were we even fighting over? The fact that I belied in Katniss and he found that childish? It didn't matter anymore. Because Katniss had medicine and she was about to take down the careers and she was on her way to coming home soon.

I shut off the TV and headed upstairs and into my bed. I pulled my blanket up to my chin and closed my eyes, my brain and body exhausted from the days events. No matter how angry I was pretending to be at Gale, the image of him staring at me in the lake wouldn't leave me. He had almost kissed me. I was so sure of it. But he pulled away and he loved Katniss and everything was oh so complicated.

With a groan, I shoved a pillow over my head and tried to rid myself of all thoughts of Gale. Eventually, sleep took over and I didn't wake again until morning.

* * *

"Madge!" I whipped around and smiled when I saw Prim walking towards me in the hallway. It was the beginning of the school day.

"Hey, Prim!" I said when she reached me. Rory and Gale came up behind her and I tried my best to avoid Gale's eyes.

"You weren't in school yesterday. I didn't see you at lunch." Prim said with concern.

I saw Gale smirk out of the corner of my eye. "I know... I'm sorry." Was all I said. I didn't want to lie to the poor girl so I figured it was best to keep it vague.

She narrowed her eyes at me and then turned around to Gale. "_You_ weren't at school, either."

Gale's smirk fell and I had to bite my lip to keep myself from laughing. He opened his mouth to come up with an excuse but then closed it again. Instead he shrugged his shoulders and ruffled Prim's hair.

"What are you? The school peacekeeper?"

Prim giggled and turned to Rory. "We should get to class, Rory. Bye!"

Rory nodded and followed Prim down the hall. That left only me and Gale and my weak attempt at anger.

Gale took a deep breath and then said, "You were right. About Haymitch getting her medicine. I should've... I should've believed you. Sorry."

That was all it took. A simple, sincere apology and I knew there was no way I could be mad at Gale. Not that I was very mad to begin with.

"It's okay, Gale. Really." I reassured him.

He smiled at me. "So, did you get to see Katniss send down the nest this morning? I saw it live before I went hunting."

I shook my head. "No, some of us like to sleep at four in the morning." I teased.

"Sleep is for the weak, Madge. " He joked back.

"Where is Katniss now?" I asked.

"She passed out in a pile of leaves. She seemed to be having hallucinations from the stings. The bees were subdued from the smoke though, and she only got a few stings so she should be alright soon."

I smiled. "That's good!"

He gave me a half smile and then added, "And Peeta he... he saved her life." I noticed the way his attempt at a smile dropped then. His eyes found the floor and he swallowed.

"That's also good..." I said in a gentle voice.

Gale looked up at me with tangled eyes. "He keeps protecting her. He keeps... risking his life for her. Cato cut up his leg pretty bad but he knew that would happen, Madge. He knows he will have to die in order for Katniss to live. I can't... I can't do what he's doing. I can't save her. And he's doing it without question, without hesitation. He really loves her, Madge."

"I know." I whispered.

"On top of all that, he's hard to hate. Dammit."

The bell signaling it was time for class went off and me and Gale jumped a little, startled by it. We laughed by our dramatic reaction and then turned separate ways to go off to class.

"Gale?" I called to him when he was just about to round the corner of the hall.

He turned around. "Hm?"

"You may not be protecting her from inside the arena but you're protecting her family from the outside and that's just as important."

The edges of lips curved up into a smile. "Thanks, Madge."

"You're welcome." I gave him a huge smile and turned around to walk away.

* * *

After school, I found Prim outside of the school waiting for the Hawthornes. She waved me over with enthusiasm. Just as I reached her, so did Rory, Vick, and Gale.

"You can't seem to stay away from me, can you, Madge?" Gale whispered in my ear teasingly. It sent goosebumps down my spine.

"Says the boy who brings me strawberries more frequently than necessary." I replied with a sly grin.

Prim looked from Gale to me and then back to Gale again. She looked like she was about to say something but then shook her head, clearing away the thought. Instead, she linked her arm through mine and asked if I would walk home with them. I agreed.

When we reached the Hawthorne's, little Posy practically shot out of the front door and into Gale's arms. He held her tight to his chest and spun around. She giggled and begged him to put her back down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she ran over to me and hugged me as well.

"Madge, hi! I still remember your favorite color. It's yellow, like the sun!" She said cheerfully.

I laughed and tapped my finger against her tiny nose. "You have a good memory!"

"Are you staying for dinner? Stay for dinner, please, please!" She pleaded with me, grabbing onto my wrist with her tiny hands.

When I looked up at Gale, I expected him to have the same reaction as the first time Posy had asked me to stay. He was annoyed and awkward and clearly not in favor of my presence at the table that day. This time, however, he only licked his lips and said, "You can, you know. If you want."

I glanced up at the boy who had become so much more than just a boy to me. I didn't understand him. But I knew I liked him. Maybe even loved him. And in all actuality, it had only been a little over a week. One week. Seven days. But in that one week, in those seven, unforgettable days, Gale had managed to find his way into my life in an intense way. He had found a way to nestle deep into my bones, clinging to my skin and pumping through my blood. He was such a big part of me. When did that happen? When did we reach the point of almost kissing in lakes and inviting each other over for dinner? When did we cross the line over from Gale just being the boy who brings me strawberries to the boy that I've possibly fallen in love with?

"Gale-"

"Just say yes." He said simply, gently, the words rolling off his tongue and past his lips.

I sighed and rolled my eyes at him. "Fine. Yes. I will have dinner with you."

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter will be QUITE Interesting, let me tell you! Sorry if this was one was a bit short and dry, but I can't have a bunch of drama in EVERY chapter... thank you all SO much for your kind reviews and please, keep them coming, please! Happy Hunger Games, friends!**


	10. Chapter 10

She lit up the room. She didn't say much but when she did talk, her voice filled the air with a gentle warmth that only Madge could bring. My mother was beside herself. You could tell she loved Madge. The way she kept smiling and laughing at her, asking her a million questions that always made Madge's stories last longer than she intended them to. I couldn't seem to take my eyes off of her face. The way her blue eyes sparkled over the candle in the middle of the table. The way she pressed her lips together whenever there was silence. The way she talked to Posy with such enthusiasm and wonder. I just couldn't look away.

After we finished dinner, Posy persuaded Madge into playing a game with her. And then Madge persuaded me into joining them. Posy ran into her room and returned with a rope. She led us outside and gave one end of it to Madge and the other end to me. She stood in the middle as we twirled it around. She kept tripping over the rope and I couldn't help but laugh. Posy glared at me and said, "You do it then, Gale!"

I shrugged and handed her the end of my rope and stood in the middle. Madge smiled at me playfully as her and Posy began to twirl it. I tried to jump at the right time but ended tripping on it as well. I fell to the ground and Posy and Madge bursted out in laughter. I cursed quietly and stood up, glaring at Madge.

"Your turn." I snapped, yanking the rope from her. She rolled her eyes and was still laughing as she walked to the middle of the rope. As I twirled it around, she jumped on cue and then jumped again when the rope came back around. She jumped and jumped and didn't miss a single step. This went of for a few minutes before I stopped spinning the rope.

She was out of breath and had her hand on her waist as she breathed heavily. "Piece of cake."

Posy stared at Madge just like she a superhero of some kind. "You have to teach me how to jump rope!" She begged.

Madge laughed. "I will some other time. I promise! Alright?"

Posy nodded her head. "Alright!"

I lifted her tiny body off of the ground and into my arms. "Time for bed, little one."

Posy squealed in my arms and cried out, "I want you to tuck me in tonight! You and Madge!"

I laughed and turned to Madge who was beaming at my little sister. I gave her a shrug and Madge nodded her head, signaling she would do it with me.

I carried her to her room and then set her down on the bed. She crawled under the covers quickly and looked at Madge and I expectantly. "Gale you do the right side and Madge can do the left!"

Madge brushed past me to get to the other side of bed. We both tucked in our appropriate sides around her tiny frame and then I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Now sleep, Posy."

Posy smiled. "Okay. I will. G'night."

"Night." Me and Madge said simultaneously.

As we walked back out of her room, I noticed the sun was setting outside. It would be dark soon. "I should get you home." I said to Madge.

"Alright."

We walked in a comfortable silence through the seam. The weather was perfect. It was warm with a gentle breeze that kept the air from feeling too stuffy. I liked to watch Madge's hair lift off her shoulders and brush past her face whenever the breeze blew. It was a beautiful sight.

When we reached her front door, she placed her hand on the knob but then turned around to face me. "Would you like to come in?"

"Yeah, sure." I said shrugging my shoulders.

When we walked inside, I noticed the piano was scattered with sheet music across the bench. "Were you playing earlier?" I asked.

She looked confused by my question but then noticed my eyes on the piano. "Oh! No, my father was."

That surprised me. "He still plays a lot?"

"Yeah, whenever he gets a free few moments."

Then, without warning, the words were floating past my lips. "Will you play something for me?"

She looked completely startled and caught off guard, her mouth shaped into a perfect, little 'O'.

"Come on. It's just me." I added.

She licked her lips and then clapped her hands together. "If you insist."

She sat down and cleared the sheet music from the chair. She moved over on the piano bench and looked up at me. "You can sit too, Gale."

So I did. I sat down next to her on the small bench and our shoulders were touching, the warmth that radiated off of Madge now touching my arm. And I had never noticed it before but Madge smelled like... like vanilla. And when she placed her fingers on the keys and began to play, I watched her face instead of her quickly moving hands. She bit her lip as she played. Her teeth clutching the edge of her lower lip so tightly, I wondered why she wasn't bleeding.

And then she was singing. She was singing while she played. Her voice wasn't like Katniss's. It wouldn't stop the birds or turn a million heads but it was pretty. Gentle. Quiet. Soothing. I stared at her as she sang, afraid to take my eyes off of her for even a moment. She was so beautiful. As I focused in on her lips again, I found myself paying attention to the words of the song.

_You, my darling, are my sunshine on a rainy day_

_You, my love, are true north when I lose my way_

_You, my sweetheart, are a blanket on a cold winter night_

_You, my baby, are my laughter when nothings alright_

A piece of hair fell in front of her face and blocked my view. Just because I wanted to, I reached out and tucked it behind her ear. Madge didn't stop singing, but her eyes floated over to my own. She didn't just belong to the sunlight, she _was_ the sunlight. Everything she said and did, everything she stood for. Even her singing. Why I had spent so long hating her? I could've spent the time listening to her play the piano and sing, I could've spent the time swimming with her lakes and walking her home at night. I could've spent the time falling in love with her smile, her hair, her damn eyes.

The song ended and her hands stayed on the keys, letting the sound of the notes linger in the air a moment longer. With her eyes still fixed on mine and our faces an inch apart, leaning my head down to kiss her would've been so easy, so simple. But even at the thought of kissing her, Katniss came to my mind. Katniss wasn't my girlfriend. Why the hell would I care if I kissed Madge then?

Because I promised myself I would do more to get her home and again, I was almost kissing Madge. But even if I wasn't going to kiss those perfect lips, I didn't want the moment to end. "Beautiful." I said quietly, my voice just barely above a whisper.

"What is?" She asked.

_You._

"The song. Your.. your voice. Everything, Madge."

She licked her lips and looked towards the ground for a moment, trying to hide her blush, and then back up at me. "My mother used to sing that song to me when I was little while my father played it. It was my lullaby."

"How is she?" It was common knowledge that the mayor's wife had horrible headaches that kept her too sick to leave bed for _years._

Madge shrugged. "Same as always." She tried to sound nonchalant about it, but I wasn't buying it.

"It will get easier." As soon as I said the words, I wondered why they sounded so familiar. As if they were directly connected to Madge somehow. Then it hit me.

And suddenly, I wasn't sitting at the piano anymore. But I was five years in the past, in the Justice building getting my medal after my father's death. I was only 13 at the time but I still remembered it like it was yesterday. Madge Undersee who was only 11, walked over to me with her hair tied back into a tight bun and wearing light pink dress that reached her knees.

"It will get easier." Was all she said. She whispered that to me before turning on her heel and scurrying away. I had barely even enough time to register that she was talking to me before she had ran off.

I pulled myself back to reality and said, "You said those same words to me once. After my father died."

Her lips turned up into a small smile. "I remember, Gale."

Of course she does. "I didn't know what to make of you then."

She laughed and I couldn't help but smile at the way her face lit up. "You still don't, Gale."

"Maybe not, but I am slowly figuring you out, Madge Undersee."

She placed her hands in her lap. "Oh, really? This ought to be good. Tell me what you got."

I laughed. "Alright. Here's what I've gathered so far." I thought for a moment, choosing my words with precision. "You lick your lips _a lot_. Especially when you're nervous. Oh, and you try to pretend to never be nervous because you're afraid to ever appear as anything less than confident but your mask fails you often. And that's alright, because I like it better when I see that even the mayor's daughter isn't always perfect."

She smiled at this. And so I continued.

"You're excellent with children, you're too polite for your own good but you _never_ let people walk over you. You speak your mind. Even when you're angry, you don't say things you don't mean and you still find a way to remain composed. You don't like to admit it when you're sad or upset, which I can relate to. Oh, and you don't give a damn about what anyone thinks of you."

She couldn't hide the grin that had taken over her face. "Well, you're not entirely correct. I do care what _some_ people think of me."

The way she said the word _some _left me with the indication that she meant me. I wanted to tell her that _some_ people thought very highly of her, thought she was adorable. But then I knew this would lead to the perfect moment to kiss and I was trying my best to avoid that, no matter how alluring her lips were.

So, instead, I stood up to create some distance between us. Then I said, "No need to worry about that."

"Why ever not?" She asked, putting on a fake capitol accent.

I smirked. "Because everybody likes you, Madge."

She swallowed and glanced up at me with nervous eyes. Her voice had returned to normal. "Everybody?"

"Everybody."

She looked as if she was going to say something else, she even opened her mouth to do so. But then, her eyes fell to someone behind me and she stood up quickly, flustered. I whipped around as well and stood face to face with the mayor himself.

He stared at me with narrowed eyes. He didn't look mad, though. Just _very _curious as to why I was standing in his living room. "Hello, Gale."

"Hello, sir." I said quickly. I held out my hand and he shook it hesitantly.

"Gale walked me home and then I invited him in." Madge stepped forward and stood beside me but left plenty of room between us.

He nodded. "Well... that's fine, I suppose. Just let me know next time you have a guest over, Madge."

"Sorry. I knew you were probably busy working in your office and didn't want to interrupt." She gave him an adorable smile and it seemed to ease him a little.

"Well, regardless, it's getting late." The mayor said sternly.

"Yes, of course. I was just leaving." I said before shrugging my shoulders, trying to play everything off as casual, nonchalant.

"Alright. Good night, Gale. Madge, I expect you upstairs in a few minutes."

"Alright. I'll be up there!" She said sweetly.

"Good night, sir." I added before he turned around and walked away, glancing over his shoulder every few feet in suspicion.

When he was gone, Madge and I turned to each other and started laughing.

"You've got that sweet, innocent daughter thing down good, huh?" I teased.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm his only child and therefore, I am his biggest weakness."

"Well, whatever you do to get out of trouble, keep doing it. It works. I really should get home, though."

She nodded and walked me to the front door. We faced each other again. She looked up at me and as she said the words "Goodnight, Gale," her arms wrapped around me, engulfing me in a hug. I was too surprised at first to do anything. But then, my arms wrapped around her shoulders with ease, like I had done the day she was crying. Her head gently nestled into my chest, right at my heart, and I instinctively leaned down and placed my chin on the top of head. When she pulled back after a long moment, she gave me a warm grin.

Just as I began to walk away, I remembered something and turned back around, one foot already out the door. "Wait."

She placed her arms over her chest. "Hm?"

I took a step back inside so I was back in the room completely. "I told you what I make of you. But you never told me what you make of me."

She rolled her eyes. "Because you're a mystery to me, remember?"

"But you've got to have some of me figured out."

She laughed and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, like I had done for her earlier. "I'll tell you some other time. When I've perfected you."

"I'm going to hold you to that, you know."

She nodded her head. "I know. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

I finally did walk away then. And as I walked home alone in the dark, visions of her singing and playing the piano refused to leave me. How could someone be so complicated? How could the same girl with this explicable fire inside her also have a gentleness that carried itself with her? How could she be so breathtaking to look at and so riveting to listen to? She was stunning in every single way possible. All of this confused me, frustrated me. What was Madge to me anymore? Was she still just a girl I respected? Of course not. She was so much more than that.

But how much more?

Did I like her? I wasn't sure. I mean, I didn't, did I? I loved Katniss and that hadn't changed. But like I said, she wasn't my girlfriend. I could flirt with other girls. Somehow, deep inside my chest, I knew what Madge and I were doing was certainly more than harmless flirting, though. She was pulling me apart, piece by piece. She was finding her way with me, figuring me out in a way that nobody else had ever taken the time to do, besides Katniss. She was breaking me down. And I didn't even mind. As far as I was concerned, Madge Undersee could break me down as much as she wanted because even if it left me with nothing but hundreds of questions and thousands of frustrations, she would still be the same; a beautiful, terrifying, mess.

* * *

**A/N: I told you things were getting interesting! It's hard to write Gale's feelings for Madge because I don't think he really understands himself. He loves Katniss and cares so deeply for her. Anyways, I bet some of you were expecting a kiss, right? El Oh El.. I like to tease you all to death instead. Don't give up on me yet, though because you'll wanna stick around for the rest of this story. Wink, wink. If you could all throw me a review, I would be oh so happy! Thanks!**

**P.S Hunger Games DVD comes out August 18th. And there's a DVD trailer out that emotionally tears me to pieces. 12 weeks and we get to watch the movie whenever we want. SIGH. **


	11. Chapter 11

When Katniss finally did wake back up, it was Rue who helped her out. They formed an alliance and worked well together. Rue gave Katniss something for the tracker jacker stings and Katniss helped Rues with her burns. She never said it out loud, but I could tell from the way she talked to Rue, with gentleness and patience, that she reminded her of Prim. I had to laugh though because I could almost hear Gale's voice probably saying something along the lines of, "l_eave it up to Katniss to form an alliance with the 12 year old."_

Gale. At the thought of him, I smiled. Gale with his flirty jokes and hands that reach out and tuck hair behind ears and his warm smile. Since the night with my dad, we had tried to avoid spending time near or in my house. He wasn't mad. He was a gentle man, my father. He was just being a concerned parent, looking out for his daughter. Of course, he had found many ways to bring up Gale in conversation.

"So, you and Gale, huh?" He had said the previous night at dinner.

I had sighed. "He's my friend, dad."

My father nodded his head slowly and pressed his lips together tightly. "I know but you were playing for him. I thought you were nervous about others hearing you play."

That was true. I _was_ nervous about others hearing me play. But when Gale asked, I couldn't find it in me to say no. I didn't want him to think I was too scared to play in front of him. And once my fingers hit the keys, I realized that playing in front of Gale was so easy. I wasn't even nervous anymore with him by my side. I even racked up the courage to start singing. Something that _never_ happened. I was just so lost in the music and the boy that it felt right to sing. And so I did.

I had shrugged my shoulders. "It wasn't as terrifying as I have previously thought playing for others would be."

My father only eyed me curiously, trying to figure me out. Trying to figure Gale and I out. I wanted to let him know that he wasn't alone, that I was trying to figure "Gale and I" out as well.

The sound on the TV pulled be back to the present. Katniss and Rue were nestled up in a tree, discussing the careers. When Katniss asked about Peeta, she told her that he was no longer with the careers. It was then that the camera cut to Peeta. He was lying in the mud, completely camouflaged. Bloody and dying. Slowly, painfully, dreadfully.

I had to turn off the TV. I wanted Katniss to win, yes. I believed in the very depths of my soul that she would win but... Peeta. He didn't deserve to die. He was sweet, gentle, kind. Everything he did in the arena, he did to save Katniss. It made me stop and wonder for a moment what I would do if Gale and I were in the arena together. I told myself to remember the thought and bring it up next time I saw him.

Just then, there was a knock on my door. I stood up and before I even had time to wish that it would be Gale, the door swung open on its own and there he was, leaning against the frame with another basket of strawberries.

I laughed. "You _just_ gave me some strawberries not too long ago."

He shrugged. "Make a pie." He held out the basket and I took it, not before throwing him a playful glare, however.

And because his timing was perfect, my father came down the stairs. He stole a glance between Gale and I and then sighed. "Hello, Gale." He said tiredly.

Gale smiled and waved over at him. "Hello, Sir. I brought you some strawberries."

"You don't say." He replied, slightly sarcastically.

I threw a sharp glance at my father who only smiled at me uncomfortably. There was an awkward silence in the air that I was finding far too uncomfortable for my liking. I clapped my hands together once loudly.

"Okay, so how much do I owe you, Gale?" I sounded so polite, so strict, so distant.

Gale was hiding a smirk. "Well, _Madge," _He mimicked my polite tone, "Three or four coins."

"Four it is." I said as I grabbed some money out of my pocket. I handed it off to Gale who took it and shoved it into his own pocket.

"Well, you two have a nice day." Gale said quickly.

"Bye!" I exclaimed as I hurriedly shut the door, practically on his face.

When I turned around, my father was indeed staring at me like I belonged in an asylum. Perhaps I did. I licked my lips. Then, I remembered Gale telling me I licked them a lot, especially when I was nervous.

Then I wanted to kick myself because I couldn't seem to ever get him off my mind anymore.

"Madge, are you sure there's nothing going on? You can tell me." My father said.

I laughed nervously. "Of course not! He's my friend, dad. And his best friend is in the games and really he needs someone to talk to."

"Just... be careful." He warned.

I didn't know what that meant. Be careful? Of what? Gale? I had already accepted the fact that Gale loved Katniss. I knew he did. I knew he didn't care for me in the way I cared for him. I _was_ being careful. I was already well aware of my inevitable heartbreak. I wasn't living in some fantasy world where I believed Gale would fall in love with me and forget about Katniss and we would get this perfect ending. I knew exactly what would happen when Katniss got home. Gale would forget about me and go back to Katniss's side. I knew.

I didn't care though. Because the time I got to spend with Gale now was worth any amount of pain in the future.

* * *

The following morning, we were let out of school early on behalf of an exciting day in the games. Katniss and Rue were well on their way to destroying the careers food source. As I was leaving the school building, Prim raced up to my side.

"Madge! You have to watch the games with me!"

I smiled and threw my arm around her tiny shoulders. "Of course I will. I wouldn't miss today's games for the world."

She beamed up at me. "Katniss is going to destroy it, isn't she?"

I nodded. "Yeah, she is."

As we walked, Rory and Vick joined us, followed by Gale. Rory chatted with me excitedly about what he thought would happen when Katniss finally destroyed the food, complete with sound noises and hand motions. I laughed at his animation and then caught Gale smiling at me. I smiled back and wondered briefly if he knew the extent of his effect on me.

Once again, our interaction did not go unnoticed by little Prim. She bit her lip to hide the smirk that was playing on the edges of her mouth when she noticed our prolonged glance. I nudged her shoulder and gave her a stern look, to which she busted out into a fit of giggles. We decided to go into the Hawthorne's, since their house was bigger than the Everdeen's. When we reached their house, we all piled inside and sat around the TV. To my surprise, Gale voluntarily sat to my right and Prim sat to my left. When we tuned in, Katniss was just observing the food, trying to figure out why it was left unguarded so easily.

The announcers were saying something about land mines and I watched Gale squint at TV, figuring something out.

"What?" I asked.

"Did you know they rigged up their supplies with bombs?"

I whipped my head towards him and then back to the TV quickly. "How did they do that?"

He shrugged, like it was obvious. "By using the plates from the beginning of the games. They dug them up and rewired them somehow. Genius."

Prim gripped my arm. "But then how can she blow them up without hurting herself?"

Gale laughed and said, "Because she's Katniss and she's capable of anything."

For some reason, the statement settled in my stomach in a sour way. The way he had said it with a little laugh, like it was almost humorous how perfect Katniss was. How she was strong and brave and _capable of anything. _It was all a dreadful reminder that I didn't measure up.

When the girl that I had heard Katniss call Foxface popped out from behind some trees, she hopped from foot to foot across the land near the food and supplies. She obviously knew exactly where the bombs were and what would set them off. She took a little bit of everything, not enough for anyone to notice the difference. And then she was gone.

"Smart Girl." I mumbled.

"Yeah, but Katniss is smart too." Gale said back. I looked at him curiously. Since when was he the poster child for optimism? Better yet, why were his encouraging comments about Katniss making me so frustrated? He caught me staring at him. "Uh... what?" He asked.

I shrugged and brought my focus back to the TV. "Nothing. You just seem pretty confident in Katniss today. That's new."

He smiled and put his hand on my knee before giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Well, you bring out the best in me, Madge." He turned his eyes back to the TV as well and his hand slipped away.

_You bring out the best in me, Madge. _

_You bring out the best in me, Madge._

_You bring out the be-_

"She's ganna use her arrows! To shoot down the apples!" Rory screamed, breaking me out of my trance.

I blinked a couple times, bringing my focus back. Three arrows. That was all it took for Katniss to send the bag of apples down. As they rolled against the ground, suddenly, the supplies flew through the air, igniting in flames. Katniss went flying backwards with them.

We all gasped and on accident, I grabbed Gale's hand. The second I realize that I had his hand in a death grip, I went to remove it. However, just as I did, his fingers laced through my own and he held on tight, his eyes fixed on the screen in front of him while mine were locked on him.

Slowly, I forced myself to pay attention. Katniss' life was on the line and I was too busy remembering how to breath because Gale was holding my stupid hand. We watched as Katniss finally stood back up, touched her bloody ear, and then began to slowly walk back to Rue.

Although something was wrong. And just as Katniss figured this out, the little girls scream rang through the forest. Gale's grip on my hand tighten and I soothingly rubbed my thumb over his own. Katniss was running, screaming Rue's name. When she reached her, caught in a net and crying, Marvel sent a dagger through her chest.

Katniss killed him with her arrow before he could even blink. She freed Rue from the net but knew from the wound that she wasn't going to make it. She held her hand and told her about she blew up every last bit of the supplies. She made Katniss promise that she would win. _You have to win, _she had said. And when Rue asked Katniss to sing for her, a lump found it's way to my throat.

You could hear a pin drop in the Hawthorne's house. Nobody spoke, every single pair of eyes were fixed on the screen. I couldn't help it when the tears began to spill down my cheeks without warning.

Katniss's voice was shaky and broken, but even still, it was beautiful.

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you. _

As she finished the song, she was sobbing. Sobbing. I had never seen Katniss cry. It only made my own tears fall faster. As Katniss walked away, I thought it was over. Rue was dead and this was the end. But suddenly, she was grabbing flowers. _Flowers?_ I thought, _Why flowers? _And then I had my answer.

She was laying them all around Rue, on top of her, in her hair. She was burying her in flowers. Beautiful, colorful flowers. A sob escaped me against my will. A 12 year old girl, Prim's age. Dead. Gone. Never coming back. And Katniss was making her beautiful on last time, Katniss was respecting her short life. All silly jealousy over her faded away. Because I wasn't jealous of her in that moment. I admired her. She was without a doubt my hero.

Katniss kissed her goodbye and then walked off, her tears still leaving stains on her cheek. Someone turned off the TV and nothing could be heard in the room except for the cries of me, Prim, and Posy.

I felt a strong arm come around my shoulder and a whisper tickled against my ear. "Let's get you home."

I wiped at my face and nodded, standing up and following Gale out the door. His hand found mine again as we walked and I tried not to read into it. He was just comforting me, after all. It had been a rough day. A terrible day. Another tear fell down my cheek as I spoke. "I can't even blame Marvel. He was just doing what they were told to do. Kill."

I kept my eyes fixed in front of me but I could tell Gale's were watching me now as I spoke.

"I blame them. I blame the capitol." I said with anger and bitterness, my words slipping past my gritted teeth.

Gale stopped us and turned to face me. He dropped my hand and instead placed both of his on my shoulders. He whispered to me as quietly as possible. "Not here, Madge. You can't say stuff like that here."

I yanked away from him. "I don't care, Gale! I don't care!"

"I do!" He snapped back. "Because you'll get yourself in a lot of trouble if someone hears you."

"Then take me... _there_. " I said through wet eyes.

He knew where I was talking about. He nodded and reached for my hand once more. I took it and he led us to the edge of the district and then safely into the woods. We didn't stop walking for a few miles. When we finally did stop and leaned against a tree, I remembered my thought from earlier. About what would happen if Gale and I were in the games.

"I don't think I could kill anyone. If I were in that games." I said. "I mean, I just justified Marvel killing Rue! I obviously see the good in people, even when there is no good. I don't think I could kill a single person."

Gale sighed. "You know I could."

I nodded because I did know this. "But you would feel bad after."

He shook his head. "I don't think I would, Madge. I think the arena would turn me into the monster that I already know I am."

I looked at him and whispered, "I don't think that's true at all. You're not a monster."

"Yeah, I am."

"The capitol makes them kill, Gale. If you were in there... you'd just be doing the best you could under the circumstances to come home."

He turned to me, his eyes finding mine with a new level of intensity I'd never seen before. "Not if you were in there with me. I'd be bending over backwards to keep _you _alive."

I blushed and turned away. "I could take care of myself in there."

"No, you couldn't. And that's why I'd need to do it for you."

"You make me sound so pathetic!" I said with a laugh.

He smirked and nudged me with his shoulder. "Not pathetic. I'm not saying you wouldn't do your best to stay alive, because I know you would. All I'm saying is... I'd never forgive myself if I let you die in there. Therefore, I'd always be trying to help you out."

"Why do you say things like that to me sometimes?" I asked.

"Things like what?"

I smiled. "Nice things. Things that are just genuinely nice."

He shrugged and closed his eyes, breathing in the woods air. "I don't know. As fun as you are to make angry, I also like to see you smile."

This seemed like an acceptable answer. I nodded my head and when he glanced at me with a smirk on his lips, I broke out into a fit of laughter. He laughed too and threw his arm around my shoulder, pulling me into him. I leaned my head against his shoulder, his strong arm around me, protecting me. I closed my eyes and eventually, I began to drift off to sleep.

And as sleep began to pull me under into the waves of unconsciousness, I could've sworn I felt Gale press his cool lips against my warm forehead, leaving me with a tingling sensation as my world fell away.

* * *

**A/N: SO MUCH TOUCHING IN THIS CHAPTER. I love it :) I hope it feels natural for Gale to be acting the way he is towards Madge. I mean, it took him time but you can tell he really does care for Madge. PLEASE review and let me know what you think and I'll update again soon! Thanks!**


	12. Chapter 12

They changed the rules. Two tributes could win if they were from the same district. The first thing Katniss did was scream Peeta's name. I couldn't blame her. She would have to be heartless to not team up with him at this point. However, I knew Peeta's condition and couldn't help my selfish thoughts from wishing he would die before she found him. Peeta was near death anyways and so he would only slow her down, make her an easy target. It was a horrible thing to wish, even for me.

I guess my unspeakable thoughts about Peeta had to due with the fact that I was due for the mines in just three days. I could no longer put it off, pretend it wasn't happening. Because it was. And I was going to go deep into the earth, walk on the ground my father had walked on, breath the same dirty, toxic air. Risk my life with every single swing of my axe, with every dirty and dangerous step I took.

I could admit I was afraid but only to myself. I didn't let my fear show in front of my mother or my siblings. I knew my mom was scared to death for me. I kept reassuring her I would be fine but what the hell did I know? I could blow up the second I stepped into that elevator. Dead just like that. Just like my father. Just like all those kids in the arena...

I watched with my family as Katniss found Peeta in the stream and tried her best to clean up his wound. Anybody with a brain could see he would probably be dead in a day or two. Katniss knew it but she refused to actually believe it. She wrapped up his leg and somehow managed to carry him to a tiny cave. _How cozy_, I thought bitterly.

He was slowing her down. He would do nothing but slow her down from here on out. And I hated him for it. I hated him for dying because that meant she would do everything in her power to prevent his inevitable death and probably end up killing herself in the process. What a twist of events. Peeta Mellark had been trying so hard to keep Katniss alive that now she would do the same for him.

"Gale, why do you look so mad?" Posy asked before bouncing over to my place on the couch and sitting on my lap. I brushed a piece of her dark hair back and shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.

"I'm don't, Posy."

She scrunched up her face. "Yes you do. Why?" She asked again.

I let out a dramatic sigh and before I could answer, my mother spoke for me. "Posy, why don't you go get the bread from the table. We can all share some." Her words were meant as a distraction and I couldn't of been more grateful. I mouthed her a thank you as Posy skipped off into the kitchen for the food. She winked at me in response.

My mother knew me better than I thought.

When Peeta started mumbling on and on about not surviving, I was nearly certain Katniss was going to scream in his face. Much to my surprise and probably to his as well, she leaned down and pressed her lips firmly against his instead.

As if someone was sending the mining axe straight into my gut, a sharp pain shot through my body and I felt my heart drop to the bottom of my stomach. I knew Katniss enough to see that she didn't actually like Peeta. She was just doing what she could to get sponsors. But it was the fact that Peeta _did_ like Katniss that bothered me. The fact that his lips were touching hers when they should've been mine, the fact that he would always have that. He would always have the feel of her lips against his own etched into his mind, his heart.

And it wasn't until a broth of soup came and Katniss coaxed Peeta into eating it with more kisses did I really start to feel sick to my stomach. Because was all this kissing really necessary? I guess it helped to play up the star crossed lovers angle but what if Katniss wasn't pretending anymore? Was she? I couldn't tell what was real and what was just for the cameras. The line was blurring and I was certain I was going to throw up.

I had been so careful. So careful to not kiss Madge because of Katniss. And there she was, kissing Peeta over and over again, never mentioning my name or even my existence. As if I didn't matter. As if I really was just her hunting partner, her forever friend. Why the hell had I been so careful then? I had wanted to kiss Madge so damn badly that it was nearly keeping me awake at night. And it was all for nothing. Because it was clear as day that Katniss didn't care how all this made me feel. And she knew I was watching! I was going to feel guilty about kissing Madge even though Katniss wouldn't have even had to watch. I guess I was the idiot, though. Not Katniss. I had actually believed that she would still care. That she would still give a damn about me, even after all this time.

When Peeta drifted off to sleep and Katniss took watch for the night, I finally pulled myself from the TV and stormed into my room. I couldn't sleep nor could I really even sit still. Nonetheless, I laid in bed with the feelings building up inside of me slowly and painfully. Betrayal, frustration, anger, and admittedly some jealously. All these emotions fought for dominance in my brain. Needless to say, I didn't sleep a wink that night.

* * *

The following day was no better. Peeta forced Katniss to sleep and stroked her hair as she drifted off. I wanted to chop off his hand. I wanted to yank it away from her and dip it in acid. But more than anything, I didn't want it to bother me. And I felt so powerless against all those horrible feelings. You can't control how you feel and not having control drove me to insanity.

As the day droned on, I stayed at home and alternated between watching the games and hanging out with my siblings. Something about the fact that in two days, I would rarely see them made me want to spend as much time with them as possible.

Later in the evening, Peeta asked for the happiest day Katniss could remember. She told the story of getting Prim's goat, Lady. She had to lie for a lot of it, to protect herself and me. But once the story was over, the trumpets were blowing and Claudius Templesmith boomed out over the arena. He was calling the remaining six to a feast. Katniss turned to go back inside her cave but as if reading her thought, he added an important detail. Each tribute needed something desperately. And that item would be at the feast in a backpack with their district number.

And she was going to go. She was lying straight through her teeth when she told Peeta that she wouldn't. And when the sleep syrup floated down in a pretty little parachute, Katniss had the perfect tool to force Peeta to let her go. There she was, literally risking her entire life to save his own. Whatever Katniss said, whatever she did, a part of her cared deeply for Peeta. So very deeply. She was spoon feeding him the soup with the syrup and I turned off the TV. I didn't care. I didn't care about any of this anymore. I didn't care about the fact that Katniss was kissing other boys and risking her life for them and leaving behind every ounce of the person she was before she entered the arena. I did not care.

And because I was just so damn mad at her, and because I wanted to hurt her back, and because I just wanted to, I raced out the door and ran through the district, the dropping sun setting to my right. By the time I reached her door, it was dark out. She was just going inside her house, actually. I called her name gently and she whipped around, her messy hair falling down her back.

"Gale?" She asked, the surprise evident in her voice.

I walked over to Madge and grabbed her hand, pulling her around her house and to the backyard. Before she could say anything, I gently pushed her into the wall of the back of the house. I leaned over her and cupped her face in between my hands. Her eyes were wide with confusion.

"What are you doing?" She whispered.

I didn't answer. Instead, I leaned in and finally did the one thing I should've done days ago. The very thing that I had wanted to do since I spotted her walking home from Prim's, her beautiful silhouette fading into the sunlight. The one thing that had separated me and Madge from crossing our very fragile line from friends to something more, something greater, something better. My lips found hers and I pulled her into me, my hands sliding down from her face to her neck, to her shoulders, to her waist.

She didn't even hesitate to kiss me back, her hands gripped the collar of my shirt, wrinkling it up in her hands. Eventually, her tongue brushed lightly across my lower lip. I opened my mouth and she slipped her tongue inside, deepening the kiss to a new intense degree. One of my hands went up and tangled itself in her beautiful hair as the other tugged her waist even closer to me, our bodies pressed together against the the cool brick of her house.

Warmth. Everything about Madge was warm. Her kiss, her touch, her feel. She was making my chest burn with desire and when she ran her hands up my back, I couldn't help but let out a sigh. And just as the warmth was turning into a uncontrollable fire, Madge pulled away, her hands dropped from my back and fell back to her side. Both of mine went on either side of her waist again.

"What?" I asked softly, wondering why she had pulled away.

She caught her breath and then stared into my eyes, her expression tangled and confused. "I just... I just realized why you did that. Why you kissed me."

I smirked. "Because I wanted to, Madge." I leaned in again but she held up her hand to stop me. I pulled back, studying her carefully.

"No, that's not it. You watched the games today, didn't you?" She asked sternly.

"Yes, but I don't see what that has-"

"You saw them kiss." Madge interrupted, her voice nothing but a weak whisper.

I swallowed. "Of course but that's not why I'm here."

She laughed but it was cold and sad. "Don't you dare try to tell me it was just a coincidence that you waltzed over here and pushed me against a wall around the same time that Katniss and Peeta started getting all cozy in their little cave. Not when you've had countless opportunities in the past to kiss me so tell me, Gale, why now?"

I didn't know what to say to that. So I dropped my hands from her waist and stared at a pebble on the ground.

"I can't believe I'm admitting thing out loud but, Gale, I've wanted you to kiss me for so long."

"And I wanted to kiss you too!" I pleaded, placing my hands back on her waist. She pushed them off and shook her head.

"Maybe that's true but not _that _kiss. That kiss was fueled with jealousy and revenge and whatever else it was that you were feeling. We both know I deserve better than that." Her voice cracked and I could tell she was trying so hard not to cry. She grabbed my chin and forced me to look into her watery eyes. "I will not be _that_ girl, Gale. The girl who knows a boy is playing her but she lets him do it anyways because she..." Her voice trailed off.

"Because she...what, Madge?" I pushed.

She just shook her head and swallowed back her tears. But I had to know. I had to know what she was feeling, every ounce of it. I had to know if she felt what I felt when I kissed those forbidden lips. Maybe the kiss had started off as a form of revenge, as a refuge for my pain with Katniss but that's not how it ended. I didn't know what to expect when I pressed her lips into mine but I wasn't prepared for the fire that took over my body, the warmth that covered me like a blanket when were intertwined. I had kissed a lot of girls in my life but none of them even measured up to that kiss with Madge.

I stared her then, with her tangled hair and wet lips. She was right. She did deserve better than that. Better than me, too. Who was I anyway? Just a boy from the seam who had to break the law to feed his family, feed _two_ families. I wasn't rich, I wasn't particularly even kind, I didn't walk around with this immense level of clarity and confidence like Madge did. I paled in comparison to this beauty queen in front of me.

But even though I fell short, even though I would always fall short because Madge was gorgeous and witty and lovely, I had to know how she felt. I had to hear it from her lips. So I said, " I start work at the mines the day after tomorrow so I won't see you around much anymore. Madge, if you want to say something to me, anything at all. Just say it."

She stared at me, biting her lip and fighting a battle inside her head. _Just say it. Just tell me you like me, damn it. Tell me that kiss made your heart stop. _Her eyes found the floor like mine had only moments ago. And as she had done to me, I lifted her chin until her eyes met mine again.

"Just say anything... please." I whispered, practically begging her.

She reached up and placed her hand onto of my own, pulling it off of her. She swallowed and then blinked a few times before meeting my gaze voluntarily. I waited for the words, I waited for them because I could tell by the way she licked her lips and shifted her weight nervously that they were on the very edge of her brain, they were on the tip of her tongue, they were waiting to fill the gap that had formed between us.

She opened her mouth. _This was it_, I thought. This was the moment I had been waiting for. She gave me a sad smile and whispered. "I hope you have a great first day at work, Gale." And then she turned around and walked into her house through the back door, leaving me standing there alone and cold in her backyard.

* * *

**A/N: PSHHH, told you all the kiss was coming soon! This ended up being shorter than I thought it would be but I am happy with the way it turned out, surprisingly. The angst is intense here! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK BY DROPPING OFF A REVIEW. I will definitely update ASAP if you leave me something!**

**P.S- Sorry for any mistakes. It's 3 am...**


	13. Chapter 13

It wasn't my first kiss. I had kissed a boy when I was thirteen at a fancy party my father had to throw. This cute boy from town and I talked the entire night and then when he was leaving he just leaned in and kissed me. It was sweet and quick. It made my stomach flutter and left me wanting more. But he avoided me in the halls at school after that and eventually, I just forgot about him completely. So, my kiss with Gale wasn't my first kiss. But it was my first kiss that mattered.

His lips on mine, his hands tangled in my hair, sliding down to my waist. The way his hands had cupped my cheeks. It was all straight out of a fairytale. Until I realized that he was only kissing me because he was upset about Katniss and Peeta kissing. And then my fairytale came crashing down. For one split second, before I realized the truth, I had convinced myself that maybe I had it wrong. Maybe Gale didn't love her, maybe he didn't want to be with her in the same way I wanted to be with him. But of course that wasn't the case. And I wasn't Katniss Everdeen.

I wasn't enough. I would never enough.

And I couldn't tell him the truth because of it. Because what did it matter how I felt? He didn't feel the same. I was just a shoulder to lean on until Katniss was back. I was her replacement and I would soon be kicked to the curb. I had to accept my fate. So, pouring out the entirety of my heart would've done neither of us any good. But I missed him. I missed him already and it had only been a few days since our kiss. I knew he was working in the mines and I wondered how he was handling it. I wanted him to tell me about his first few days, I wanted him to tell me anything really. I just wanted to see him, actually.

How did this happen? How did I fall so fast so quickly? I didn't want this. I didn't want any of it. I wanted to forget about the boy who brought me strawberries and pushed me against walls to kiss me. I wanted so badly to rid him from my thoughts completely, to go on with my life the way it was before he entered the picture. Because falling for Gale had been a tragedy. A beautiful tragedy, yes. But a tragedy all the same. And with every passing second, I wished more than anything that I had never fallen in the first place. Because like predicted, I got hurt in the end.

I was an idiot.

At least things were looking up for Katniss and Peeta. She had successfully gotten his medicine. She had almost died in the process, of course. Because she wouldn't be Katniss if she didn't nearly escape death again. As I watched the events unfold with my father, as I watched Clove pin Katniss to the ground and start to cut her, I wanted nothing more then to be holding Gale's hand. And not because I was in love with him. But just because he was my friend and I needed a friend in that moment. I thought I was going to lose her. I thought it was over. But it wasn't. Because her and Peeta had to come home.

After she got Peeta the medicine, it rained for a few days. It allowed for a lot of tender moments between them. The more I watched Katniss with Peeta, the more I wondered how much of the romance was fake on her part. At moments, it all seemed so forced. But then other moments, something took over. A softness would register across her expression and she would get quiet, as if trying to fight the feelings inside her head. In those moments, I knew Gale probably saw it too. And it probably crushed him inside. The way he was currently crushing me.

As I sprawled out on my couch one evening, watching the games, my father walked into the room and lifted my feet up from the couch so he could sit down. He eyed my sullen expression curiously.

"You alright, Madge?"

I shrugged and kept my eyes on Peeta and Katniss, who were finally able to hunt on the first day after the "storm" had passed. It was down to four: Peeta, Katniss, Cato, and Fox face.

I heard him sigh next to me. "Something's wrong. What is it?"

"I'm fine. Just trying to watch the games. I've gotta watch them win and it could happen anytime now."

"Madge, I know you want your friends to win and I do too but... I don't think it's that simple."

I sat up slowly. "What do you mean?"

He thought for a long moment, staring at the ground. Then his eyes met mine and he said, "Remember when Katniss covered the girl from 11 in flowers?" I nodded and he continued. "They didn't like that very much."

"Why not?"

He sighed. "You know why not, Madge. It was an act of rebellion in its self. It was basically Katniss telling the Capitol that she refused to play the games by their rules. I'm just worried with this rule change and all. It's not like them, Madge. There has _got_ to be a catch to it."

I thought about this for a moment and then said, "Maybe the Captiol is just really responding to the star-crossed lovers bit. They want to keep that going, you know?"

"I want to believe that's true but... just don't get your hopes up, alright?"

I rolled my eyes. He wasn't making any sense. What kind of catch could there possibly be? They changed the rules because nobody wants to kill "young love" and it was as simple as that. There was no catch, I refused to believe it. Gale had robbed me of my feelings and I wouldn't allow my father to rob me of the little ounce of hope I had left.

"Alright." I finally said after a long pause. I turned back to the TV and I could feel my father staring at me but eventually he stood up and left the room, leaving me alone again.

Peeta was definitely not a hunter. That became quite clear almost immediately. Katniss assigned him to root duty and they went their separate ways, using a whistle to help them know they were both okay. It wasn't until a while later when she whistles and didn't hear a response that she began to worry. They made a point to not cut to Peeta so we would feel the same anxiety as Katniss. She raced back to their meeting place and saw a pile of gathered berries but Peeta was no where to be found.

My heart started to speed up and I started to worry as well. Just then, he appeared. Safe and sound. Just as Katniss got done scolding him, a canon fired and I jumped from my place on the couch. They looked around confused until the hovercraft picked up Foxface and carried her out. Peeta just killed her with his berries on accident. As Katniss examined them, I saw what she saw. They were night lock. They were poisonous and would kill you in a second. They gathered a handful of them in hopes that they could trick Cato as well.

They had made it to the final three. I had been seeing the cameras around Prim's house lately. They were doing interviews, of course. I had heard around the streets that they were saying Gale was Katniss's cousin. Having a best friend of the opposite gender wouldn't go well with the star-crossed lovers charade, after all. There was a knock on our door about an hour later and I stood up to answer it. As I opened it, a camera crew stood in front of me. A lady with deep red, spiky hair shoved a Mic into my face.

"Madge Undersee! I hear you are friends with Katniss Everdeen."

"Yes, that's right." I said hesitantly. What did they want with me?

"What do you think about Katniss making it to the final three?" The Mic was back in my face.

I sighed. I wasn't in the mood for this today. "There was never a doubt in my mind that'd she make it this far. So I can't say I'm surprised. I need to go now." I went to shut the door but the spiky haired lady blocked it with her arm.

"Wait, Madge Undersee. We just have a few more questions."

"Why?" I snapped. "What's the point? You throw children into an arena to fight to the death and except me to do what, exactly? Say I'm proud of Katniss's for making it this far? I'm not proud of her. I'm terrified for her. I'm terrified every minute of every day and you don't get to come to _my_ house and turn me into part of the freak show, alright? I won't give in. I won't let you turn me into a monster, too!" I was yelling now, angry and breathing hard.

The lady narrowed her eyes at me and asked slowly, "Are you publicly proclaiming to be against the capitol, Madge Undersee?"

That's exactly what I was proclaiming. And it was about time I let them know it. Just as I opened my mouth to say so, I felt a hand on my shoulder and then my father's soothing voice. "My daughter will not take any further questions and it would be in your best interest to erase this entire interview."

"We can't do that." She said.

My father sighed. "You can and you will." Before I could stop him, my father reached out and yanked the camera from the camera man. He deleted my clip and then handed it back. "Now, please, get away from my house." He slammed the door and then whipped around to face me.

"I'm sorry." I said before he even had a chance to say anything.

"Madge! You know better than to say stuff like that, especially in front of a camera! Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?"

I swallowed. "I was just so mad, dad and they came here and-"

"It doesn't matter! You don't ever speak that way, do you hear me! People are always watching us, Madge. Always! I don't have as much authority as you think I do. I can't save you from them, I can't protect you from them! So, do me a favor and don't walk around with a target on your forehead."

I looked up at him with fearful eyes. "Dad, what's the big deal I was just-"

"There are talks of a rebellion, Madge!" He said in a hushed whisper.

My eyes went wide. "What!"

He stared at me and then closed his eyes, letting out a long, shaky breath. He had said too much. He had said far too much.

"That's why covering Rue in flowers was dangerous..." I said slowly.

He nodded. "And that's why you can't say anything negative about the capitol ever again, Madge. Not to anyone."

I was hugging him tightly and apologizing over and over again for my silly mistake. It _was_ pretty idiotic of me. We didn't have the freedom to say whatever we want. That's not the way the nation worked. What I said was risky, what I said was dangerous, what I said could've gotten me killed.

And what I did next was dangerous as well. But an entirely new kind of dangerous. I was running out the door and running through the town, running through the seam and then I was standing there in front of the mines, waiting for the elevator to come up and bring him to me. And I didn't know what I was even doing. I hadn't talked to him since that night we kissed. He had practically begged me to tell him how I felt and I ignored him. But this news of a possible rebellion... it changed everything.

He didn't come up until close to an hour later. But the second his feet were on the ground, I ran towards him, shouting his name. He turned to me, startled and confused but I didn't care. I ran full force into him, throwing my arms around his neck and burying my head into his chest. I was instantly covered in soot but I didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. And I was talking so fast I was sure he probably had no idea what I was saying. "Gale, they are going to get themselves in trouble and my father doesn't think they will let two tributes win and there is talk going on, bad talk, and I probably made it worse and everything is going to fall apart and I realized that-"

He pulled me away from him but kept his hands on my shoulder, meeting my eyes. "Madge, slow down. What are you talking about?" He paused. "Why are you here?"

"I have no idea." I said with a laugh. "I just... ran here before I even had time to process anything. And then I sat out here waiting for you... for an hour."

"Why? Please, what the hell is going on?" He asked me gently.

Just then, there was a commotion all around us. The crowd of miners started running towards the square. Gale caught one by the arm and asked where everybody was going.

He smirked at Gale and said, "The Games are ending." And then he raced away.

Gale turned back to me with a frantic expression. I looked towards the running crowd and knew there was no time to explain now. We had to go watch the games. "We need to go." I whispered and started to walk away as well.

"Wait." Gale grabbed my wrist and whipped me back around. "About the other night," He began.

"No, Gale... I shouldn't have-"

"Madge, stop. Let me talk."

"Gale, please..."

He laughed. "You're impossible. I am trying to apologize!"

"We need to go!" I said, pointing towards the quickly moving crowd.

"But it wasn't fair to ask you how you felt without telling you how I felt and the truth is-"

No. I didn't want to know the truth. I didn't want to hear the words. He loved Katniss. He would always love Katniss. And now she might die because the capitol didn't like when people played by their own rules. And in less than a few hours, we would have a victor, _one_ victor and nothing would be the same again. Not between Gale and I. Not between anyone, really. I knew I only had one more moment of bliss. One more moment to forget about everything and be whoever I wanted to be. So I cut off his words with my lips. I stood on my tip toes and pressed my lips into his with a gentle sweetness that our first kiss had been missing. It was slow and steady, it was soft and pretty. And when I pulled away just far enough to find his eyes, I wanted to sink myself into them. Because they had never looked more beautiful than they did in that moment.

"We need to go." I said again in a whisper. And then I pushed away from him and began running towards the square. And despite whatever had just happened, he followed me. Because that's what Gale and I did best; We followed each other, no matter where we went.

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**A/N: Things are getting a little insane! I know this chapter is a little all over the place and doesn't make much sense but next chapter will be better, I promise. Thanks for reading and review please!**

**P.S I turned 21 yesterday. I am so old!**


	14. Chapter 14

I didn't have enough time. Not enough time to process her sweet and steady kiss, not enough time to understand what was going on and why Madge and ran to the mines in the first place, not enough damn time. When we reached the square, Prim ran over to our side, hugging Madge tightly. Madge wrapped her arms around Prim and held her close as we focused our attention on the large screen.

Cato, Katniss, and Peeta were struggling to climb the cornucopia. Apparently, from what Prim told us through her cries, we had missed when they brought the mutts out and Cato ran like hell away from them and towards the cornucopia. The mutts were just reaching Peeta's heels when Katniss dragged him up after her. From the look on Madge's face, she had come to the same realization as I had about the mutts and Katniss realized it a moment later as well. They were genetically engineered to look like all the other tributes. This thought didn't have time to make Katniss come undone because before she knew it, Cato has Peeta in a headlock.

I saw it then. How she really does care about him. More than she should. More than I want her to. I saw it flicker across her eyes, gone no sooner than it came. As if she was fighting off the feeling, as if she didn't want to feel it but she does. She _does_, damn it. And I knew she was wondering, wondering what it would be like to go home without Peeta. What damage it would do to her, if she could even handle it at that point. I knew she couldn't.

Katniss couldn't shoot Cato without Peeta going down with him. She was stuck. Completely and utterly stuck. She stared at the two boys, trying to figure out her next move, trying to figure out a way to keep Peeta alive. Would that be her life if they both came home? Would she always be trying to keep him alive? Always fighting off feelings that she didn't want to feel?

I turned to Madge and she looked at me at the very same moment. And wordlessly, my hand found her own, our fingers interlacing. And I didn't know what it meant. Probably nothing but hopefully everything. We watched together as Peeta made an X on the back of his hand, signaling where Katniss should shoot. And she did just that, freeing Peeta from the lock just as Cato went tumbling down to the mutts. And I knew he was good as dead. Now we played the waiting game.

But Cato's death didn't come. And as an agonizing hour dragged on, I realized it was going to be one hell of a night. His death would be painful and slow, horrible and violent. And I didn't want to watch anymore of it.

"Madge, let's come back in a few hours. You don't wanna see this." I whispered into her ear.

She turned to me, watery eyes and pink cheeks and nodded her head slowly. She whispered something to Prim and Prim ran over to my mother and Rory. He rubbed his hand over her back in soothing circles and my mother kissed her forehead and together, they walked away from the square as well.

We went into the woods. Not very far. Just a mile deep and found a tree to lay against. It was there, in the silence of the night that I asked her about her behavior at the mines.

"What's going on, Madge?"

She took a shaky breath. "There's not going to be two victors, Gale. As soon as Cato is dead, they will change the rules again. We were all fools to think otherwise."

I stared at her in disbelief. "What do you mean there won't be two victors?"

"They would never actually allow that to happen." She whispered through gritted teeth. "Not when there is already talks of a rebellion."

"What!" I practically screamed.

She shook her head as a tear slipped down her cheek. "It's bad, Gale. A rebellion... that's not a good thing."

"Yes it is." I whispered back. "It's a great thing! Don't you see? We could get things to change, Madge! We could change _everything._"

"They are stronger than you think. Who are we? They take our children and throw them into an arena to kill each other. We have no power against them!" She cried. "We couldn't win a war!"

I sighed and leaned my back against the tree. "I believe we could. If we got enough districts on our side. And with Katniss."

"She won't kill Peeta, Gale." She whispered. "It's going to come down to the two of them and you know she won't kill Peeta so what do you think will happen?" It wasn't an implication, just a question.

I shook my head. "And Peeta won't kill her. So I don't know. I don't know what's going to happen with the games or the rebellion but..." I grabbed her chin gently and turned her face to meet my own. Inches apart, sharing the same breath, I stared into those ocean blue eyes and said, "I do know what I want to happen with us."

She didn't pull away but she did drop her gaze. "Katniss." Was all she said. In one word, she spoke so much of her true feelings, of her true identity, her true insecurity. I had proved my true faithfulness to Katniss when I kissed Madge as revenge. In her mind, I had already made a choice and it wasn't her.

But... I didn't make a choice. I didn't know how. I was too scared to choose. How could I even compare the two? They were so different, so vastly different that it wouldn't even be fair. And I didn't know what to feel with either of them. Katniss shared my fire, my fight, my dedication. Madge had all of those things as well, but they were muted and softer. Plus, she had qualities I could only dream to posses. Her way with words, her confidence and bravery. And she was beautiful. So beautiful in a way that I had never seen before. And it wasn't just her face. It was everything she was inside that made her glowing to me. Sunlight from head to toe, inside and out.

She was an entirely new kind of beauty and I didn't know what to do with her. And Katniss... well she was my best friend. And... and when everything else faded away, when I took Madge and Peeta out of the equation, I was only left with that truth: Katniss was my best friend. And I had spent so much of my time with her trying to define our relationship into something else, into something more, that I had forgotten that basic foundation we had to fall back on. Did I really want to be more than that? Did I really want to cross blurry lines and ruin a friendship that had made so much sense as just a friendship?

I was still holding Madge's chin, my thumb rubbing circles across her soft skin. Her eyes were flickering back up to mine. And she was speaking, her voice like honey. "Remember that night you told me what you had figured out about me, and you asked me to tell you what I had figured out about you.. but I never did. And I said I'd tell you some other time..."

I smirked and my hand slipped to her cheek, cupping it in my hand. "And I said I'd hold you to it."

She nodded. "Well, here it goes, Gale." She exhaled softly. "You're cold and complicated. You say things that don't always line up with your actions. You can be a jerk, a huge jerk and sometimes, without even really having a reason to be one. And then other times, you're gentle and kind and it comes out of nowhere so that I barely even have time to process it. And Gale, you are so brave. And I know you don't think you are because you didn't volunteer to take Peeta's place but that is exactly what makes you brave. You knew the harder fight was staying home and taking care of her family. And you care about people so much more than you let on." She paused and did that adorable thing where she licked her lips. Then she finished. "And you, Gale Hawthorne, are the type of person who just drives me crazy in all the right ways."

'What does that mean?" I whispered.

She shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. All I know Is that I like you, Gale. And I've liked you for a long time. And I know you're in love with Katniss. And I know my words won't change that. But you also have feelings for me. I didn't let myself believe it until right now but I can tell you do. You do feel _something _for me."

"Of course I do. How could I not? You're... you're _you_, Madge." I said gently. I knew it didn't sound like much of a compliment but it was. Because Madge in herself was brilliant, bold, and beautiful.

She smiled softly. "Where does that leave us then?"

I answered honestly. "I don't know. All I know is that I want to kiss you right now." And in response, she moved closer into me and I captured my lips with her own. And we kissed and kissed, until the sun was setting on the horizon. We realized we had to get back to the games but neither of us wanted to break away from the moment.

"We need to go." Madge said into my ear before she placed a kiss just below it.

"Yeah, we really do." I said as I kissed her lips, her cheek, her chin, her nose.

She finally pulled away from me and stood up, holding out her hands. I took them and she helped me to my feet. And hand in hand, we walked back to the square. Just in time too. Katniss shot an arrow at Cato, ending his misery once and for all.

When the entire square started to get restless and confused about why they weren't announcing Katniss and Peeta as winners, I knew Madge had been right. They were never going to let two people win. Never.

"Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor."

There was a small moment where Katniss must have thought Peeta was drawing his knife to kill her because her bow was loaded and ready to shoot. He dropped the knife and Katniss dropped her bow, looking ashamed.

"No," He said. "Do it." He limped over to Katniss and handed her back her weapons.

And she said the words I already knew she was thinking. "I can't... I won't."

He made a remark about not wanting to die like Cato and then Katniss shoved the weapons back at him.

"Then shoot me!" She practically cried. "You shoot me and go home and live with it." And I saw it again. The flicker of something different, something that made me doubt that her feelings for him were all for the games. She genuinely could not kill this boy, like Madge had said.

After Peeta tried to untie his bandage and Katniss threw herself to the ground to bandage it back up, they realized how stuck they truly were. Neither of them would let the other die.

"We both know they have to have a victor. It can only be one of us..." Peeta began but I missed the rest of what he said because I was too busy watching Katniss's expression. She was getting an idea. And I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it.

She reached down to her belt and pulled out the berries. _Nightlock. _And I knew her plan right then and there. And I hated her for it.

"On the count of three?" She asked after giving a handful of the berries to Peeta and then to herself.

_Don't you dare do this, Katniss. You promised. You promised Prim you'd come home. You promised me. Damn it, you're supposed to keep your promises. I kept mine._

"The count of three." He said back.

"One." Katniss began. And I squeezed Madge's hand so hard, I was probably leaving bruises. "Two..." Was she really going to kill herself? Was she really going to end her life because not going home at all was easier than going home without Peeta? What about me? What about her family? Had we lost our value somewhere between the time she stepped off her plate and the berries? Had we lost our meaning? It was so easy... so easy for her to throw this all away. All because of Peeta Mellark. "Three!" They placed the berries past their lips and before I even had time to feel the heavy weight of betrayal, the voice on the speakers boomed out once more.

"Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! I give you- the tributes of District Twelve!"

The square erupted into applause and cheers. Madge was laughing and crying all at once and I picked her up and spun her around in my arms. When I sat her back down on the ground, it was only then that her face flickered with a sudden rush of fear. And before I even had time to ask her what was wrong, I realized it myself. She said the words I was already thinking. "Gale, they just rebelled against the capitol. They made them look like idiots." Her voice was quiet when she said, "This is bad, Gale. This is very bad."

I opened my mouth to respond but Prim was rushing towards us, giggling. She hugged Madge tightly and then hugged me. We put on fake smiles and plastic laughs and pretended everything was alright. When Prim walked away, Madge's face instantly fell. I placed my hand on her shoulder and forced her to look at me.

"Madge, listen to me." I said in a hushed whisper. "We're going to find a way to protect them. And everybody else, alright?" After a breath I added something. "And I'm going to protect you."

"I don't need protection. I'm not the target here, Gale. They are."

"We all are, Madge! And we're all in danger now. This is bigger than Katniss and Peeta and those berries." I said back, gripping her shoulder tightly.

She bit her lip and nodded. Then she asked, "So what do we do now?"

"Play pretend and keep ourselves alive." I answered quickly.

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**A/N: So, if you're confused about Madge and Gale's current relationship state, then you should be. Because I am too and so are they! I think they know they like each other but Gale is still trying to figure out all of his feelings for Katniss and know all this other drama is going on so yeah... we will see. REVIEW please and thanks! I put in more kisses for you in this chapter ;)**


	15. Chapter 15

It was hot when the train finally pulled up. A sticky, humid sort of hot. A hot that made everyone agitated. I stayed back in the crowd but spotted Gale up front. He was her "cousin" after all. When Katniss and Peeta stepped off the train hand in hand, I was almost afraid to glance at Gale. I was almost afraid to try to decipher his expression.

We had been sneaking around for a few days now. Ever since Katniss and Peeta were announced as the victors. Stolen kisses behind my house, soft hands on each others waist in the dark of the night, the tickle of our breath on each others cheeks and necks. I didn't know what Gale and I were. But it sure felt like a lot like magic. Even that very morning before we headed to the train, we shared some time past the district fence.

"Are you nervous?" I had asked him between kisses.

He shook his head. "I'm just excited to see her."

I had kissed his cheek. "Me too."

He leaned in and kissed my collarbone. I had to fight to hold back a sigh. With my eyes closed and my hands locked around his neck, I said, "I know it's been hard for you with her gone."

He pulled me away from him so he could study my face, trying to read my expression. I know my words sounded loaded. I know he thought I said them to get himself in trouble. He thought I was saying them out of jealousy but really, I truly meant them. He had missed her. It had been hard for him. I had witnessed this first hand.

"Yes." He said simply before kissed my temple. "But I managed somehow."

I had rolled my eyes before smashing my lips back into his own as his hands messed up my wavy hair, digging his nails into my scalp.

The cheering and clapping began and I was pulled back to present time. Katniss was glowing. She was radiant. She was beautiful. _Don't look. Don't look. Don't look. _Yet, I looked over at Gale and tried to read his expression. He was smiling, but it was somewhat of a sad smile. This confused me more than anything else could have.

I watched Katniss hug her mother and Prim tightly and my own eyes filled with tears when I saw the way Prim sobbed into her older sister's chest, clinging tightly to the girl she almost lost forever. And then Katniss made her way over to Gale, a look of longing crossed across her face. She was happy to see him again, obviously. She hesitatingly wrapped her arms around his neck and his own slipped around her waist, pulling her close and holding her tightly.

I felt something then, a jealousy that wasn't fair to feel. Because Katniss had no idea what was going on with Gale and I, and even if she did, she was his best friend and had more right than I did to hold him like that. He whispered something into her ear and she nodded her head before closing her eyes, squeezing him even tighter. They pulled apart and more soft words were spoken and Katniss just kept nodding her head. I didn't like the way he was speaking to her. It was the way he spoke to me when he was trying to comfort _me_.

I would never be her. I would never be the best friend who was beautiful and strong, fearless and rebellious. I would never know to hunt, how to survive anything and everything. I would never have a real chance with Gale. I mean, what were we even doing? Running around kissing like foolish little children? What good was it even doing? The entire country was at stake. Our lives were at stake.

Katniss was staring at me then and I was pulled out of my internal rant. She smiled and I smiled before running towards her and pulling her to my chest tightly.

"You did it." I whispered into her ear. "I never doubted you, Katniss."

We pulled apart and she squeezed my hand. "Thank you." Her eyes locked on my own and I suddenly became very paranoid. _Did she know?_ Surely, she didn't. She couldn't. But even knowing this, I patted my hair, wondering if it was still untamed from the trip to the woods Gale and I had taken earlier in the day_. She did not know, though. She did not know._

Peeta took his place next to Katniss and I gave him a genuine smile before pulling him into a hug. "Welcome home, Peeta! Congratulations."

"Thank you, Madge. How have you been!"

_Act casual_. "Good, great. I've been good. I've... been good." I said, realizing instantly how idiotic I sounded.

He narrowed his eyes at me, confused by my odd behavior. Luckily, he laughed it off. "Well, it's good to see you."

"You too, congratulations again." I said with a sweet and proper smile.

Katniss leaned in and whispered into my ear. "I'll talk to you later at your house, alright?"

I swallowed. What did she want to talk about? Oh, she knew. What if she knew? "Alright." I replied as casually as possible.

She walked away and went back to her family then. I finally saw Gale turn around, his eyes searching the crowd. When they landed on me, he gave me a small smile. I tried to smile back but I wasn't quite sure if it reached the rest of my face. I was suddenly so sure that everything we were doing, everything we were pretending to be, was a lie.

He began to move through the crowd towards me. I thought about running away but I knew that would only make the situation much worse. He reached my side and leaned into my ear. "Let's go somewhere."

I shook my head. "I need to get home. Help my father prepare for the party tonight." The Victors and their family had been cordially invited to a party at our house in honor of them.

Gale rolled his eyes. "Come on. Let's just go somewhere for an hour. That will leave you with plenty of time."

I sighed. "I really can't, Gale. Sorry," I said quietly, my eyes shifting to the ground as my arms crossed over my chest.

"Well, do I get to come to this party then? I am family, being her cousin and all." He said with a smirk.

"No!" I said too loudly and too quickly. "You can't come."

His face fell and grew hard. He swallowed and stared at me curiously. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Because, Katniss finally being home... it changes everything, Gale." I said quietly. I began to walk away because I didn't want to deal with this anymore. I didn't want to have to explain myself. I didn't want to have my heart break anymore than it already was.

He followed me as I practically ran away from the crowd. "Madge! Would you just talk to me?" He called.

I shook my head and didn't even bother to glance back at him. "There's nothing to talk about." I mumbled, fighting the tears that were already starting to fall.

He grabbed hold of my wrist and whipped me around to face him. "No, I think we have plenty to talk about." He said quietly.

I yanked my wrist out of his grip and met his eyes. "I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to sneak around and steal kisses. Not when she's home and I know you feel _something_ for her, even if you don't know what that even is anymore. I don't want to be come between you two. I just... I hate this, Gale."

His hands went to either side of my face, cupping it gently. "Hey, you are _not_coming between me and Katniss." He said gently. "And she doesn't matter. She's not you."

"And I'm not her." I said before licking my lips.

He ran his thumb across my cheek and shook his head. "Nobody is asking you to be her. I like _you_, Madge."

"What did you feel when you saw her today?" I said quietly. He swallowed hard and blinked quickly but didn't answer. With a sigh, I grabbed onto his hands and pulled them off my face. "Exactly."

"You can't expect me to sort everything out this quickly, Madge. I haven't seen her in three weeks and before you, she was the only thing I had."

"But you do nothing but confuse me, Gale. If you can honestly tell me you don't have feelings for Katniss, then I'll stay. I don't want to get in the way of you two. She's my friend, Gale."

He stared at me, his mouth hung slightly open, searching for the words I wanted to hear, searching for the only words that would make me stay. But could he say them? Could he say them and mean them? "I... I don't have feelings for Katniss." He said quietly, the unsteadiness of his voice hurting me worse than I thought possible.

I shook my head. "You could barely even say those words."

He tried to smile. "Why can't I have feelings for both of you?"

"You can." I said with a nod of my head. "But I can't keep sneaking around then. And I'm not saying this out of jealousy or anger. I just simply don't want to ruin anything."

"She's my best friend, Madge. I don't know how to separate my feelings with her."

"That's fine." I said, trying not to let my voice tremble. "It just means we can't do this anymore. I'm sorry."

I began to walk away but he called my name and I turned back around. That was when he ran towards me, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me towards him. His lips crashed into mine with more passion, power, and intensity than he ever had before. My hands instinctively went to his waist to pull him closer while his slid down my back and found rest of my hips. His tongue danced around my mouth and I wanted him closer, closer, closer.

And in the heat of the moment, in the feeling of his hands on my waist, his breath on my neck, his mouth smashed into mine, in the way the wind seemed to dance around us, I slipped out something I had never even admitted out loud to myself. I slipped out something that should have never been said, something that made this mess of a life even more tangled up.

"I love you." I breathed into him. And then, I realized what I had said and so did he. We both pulled away and stared at each other, our mouths hung open in shock. And before he could shoot me down, before he could make this any worse than it already was, I ran. I ran away from him and my life and my everything. Because when your entire life is crumbling before you, the last thing you want to do is stick around to watch it happen.

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**_A/N: I'M BACCCCCK! I know nobody is still reading but whatever, I felt like updating with a very small update, although you guys deserved a huge one for waiting so long. But I promise, next chapter will be long and worth the wait. I know I keep tangling the web, I keep confusing you all with Gale's feelings. But like I've said before, he himself is confused. He doesn't know what he feels, honestly. He likes Madge and Katniss was the girl he was in love with and he doesn't know what she is anymore. And I hope you realize Madge wasn't being a jealous "girlfriend", she just really wanted Gale to figure out his feelings because she doesn't want to be caught in this big mess if he has feelings for Katniss. And she knows she deserves better than being second choice. WHEW. Okay, lemme know what you all think of Madge's confession and what Gale will have to say about it!_**

**_HAPPY READING!_**


	16. Chapter 16

I didn't chase her. Why didn't I chase her? But what would I even say? _I love you too? _Did I love Madge? What the hell was love anyway? I thought I loved Katniss but was that even true? Did I mistake our friendship for something more? Did I just enjoy the comfortability she brought to me?

Screw it. Screw it all.

My feet led me to the hob on their own accord. Working my charm and the promise of excellent game come Sunday, I was able to purchase a bottle of liquor. I wasn't a big drinker, but I couldn't handle the mess of feelings floating around my head. I wanted them to go away. All of them. Cradling my bottle of liquor in my hands, I raced off to the woods. With every sip, I wished away Madge and Katniss and every conflicting emotion they ever made me feel. Damn them. Damn them both.

Minutes slipped into hours. I drank until the bottle was gone, going as far as to lick the lid. With my heart pounding in my ears and my sense of right and wrong completely shot, I stumbled out of the woods and walked to town. I had actually forgotten all about Madge's little party for the victors but when I saw Katniss and Peeta slipping through Madge's front door, the anger returned.

I wasn't invited. I wasn't good enough. They didn't want the seam boy to get dirt on their shiny clean floors. Funny, I had been in Madge's house before but seeing it full of fancy people that would turn away at the very sight of me made it feel like the strangest place on earth. I walked inside without really giving it too much thought. I guess I just wanted to see what it would be like; a real mayor's party. And it didn't hurt that Katniss and Madge would be there to screw with my feelings some more. As messed up as I felt, I still wanted to see them both.

I found what appeared to be the appetizer table and starting stuffing things in my mouth. These people didn't deserve this food. They didn't know what it was like to go hungry, to go to bed with an empty stomach, to watch your siblings go to bed with empty stomachs. To see their sad and pale faces. They didn't know what it felt like to wither away.

I looked up from the table just in time to catch her eyes from across the room. Startling blue, like always. Her light blond locks were falling over her shoulders in waves. She had on a white dress that somehow managed to make her look even more stunning, hugging her in all the right places. Her face scrunched up in confusion at the sight of me and she gave her head a slight shake, signaling I shouldn't be here, signaling I should leave.

But I didn't. Instead, I stuffed some more food into my mouth and kept my eyes planted firmly on her own. She swallowed hard and looked to the ground uncomfortably. Then she slowly made her way over to me, talking to many important people on her way. She reached my side and without even glancing up at me, she whispered to the floor.

"You need to go."

"I just came to the party to have some fun! Isn't that what parties are for?" I said a little too loud.

Her head shot up and she narrowed her eyes at me. "Are you drunk?" She asked in a hushed whisper.

I shook my head quickly. "No! No... Madge, why would I be drunk at your fancy party? That would be inappropriate." My tongue was working on it's own accord. It was saying things I didn't want to say.

She closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. Then she opened them again and looked at me in a way that made me feel like the tiniest person in the room. She looked at me like she couldn't possibly be more disappointed in me. And that hurt worse than anything else ever could.

"Please, go." She begged me, her eyes finally locking with mine again.

I should have listened. I should have walked out of there right then, right when Madge told me to. But because I was an idiot, because I was so incredibly drunk, I didn't leave. Instead, I spotted Katniss about ten feet away and marched over to her. I could hear Madge following close behind me.

"Gale!" Madge hissed.

I ignored her and grabbed Katniss by the arm, whipping her around to face me. "Katniss, hey! Welcome to the party!" I said a little too loudly.

Katniss acted just as Madge had. She studied me for a moment before asking if I was drunk. Madge went to respond but then stopped herself, remembering it was Katniss she was talking to. And Katniss didn't know me and Madge were even friends outside of the strawberries she brought to me.

I laughed at Katniss's question. "I am not drunk! I don't even drink!" I yelled as a few fancy heads turned and looked my way at the commotion.

Madge stepped forward and grabbed my arm. "Gale, please... leave." She whispered.

Katniss was watching Madge carefully now, the confusion evident on her face. Madge apparently didn't care if Katniss saw anymore. All she wanted was for me to leave.

"Why don't you want me here? Am I not good enough?" I asked her dramatically.

She kept her cool. Madge always kept her cool. It drove me crazy. "Gale, let me walk you out." She said in an even voice.

I pulled away from her grasp. "No."

Katniss stepped forward. "Gale, you're an idiot and you need to leave."

I laughed in her face. She stared at me the entire time, refusing to avert her eyes. Madge stood next to her, biting her lip like she always did when she was nervous. When I calmed down, I shook my head firmly. "I am your cousin, Katniss. I am welcome at this party."

"No, you're not." Madge said next to her. "Not like this."

I leaned in so only Madge could hear. Close to her ear, I whispered, "Am I only welcome when I'm tangling my hands in your hair?"

Madge inhaled sharply and stepped back. She looked like she was seconds away from crumbling, from breaking down, from losing it. _Join the club_, I wanted to whisper. Then she swallowed hard and said in a strong and even voice, "Get out of my house. Now."

I held up my hands. "Fine. Fine. If you don't want me here, I'll go..." I stared at her as I walked backwards. I ran straight into a man in a tux holding a drink. It spilled all over the floor and a hush fell over the room. Madge closed her eyes.

"What is going on?" Madge's father asked, coming out from another room and placing his hand on Madge's shoulder.

I stared at him and said quickly, "Nothing. I was just leaving."

And then, with the entire room staring straight at me, I walked out of her house and back into town. I threw up behind a bush and then stumbled home before passing out on my bed, my shoes still tied to my feet.

* * *

It was a long time before I saw anyone outside of my family and the men in the mines. Talking to Madge was out of the question, Katniss was busy with her victor lifestyle, and I had no friends outside of them anyways. It was good, I guess. I needed time alone after that horrible, drunken mistake of a night.

One Sunday, we met in the woods without really making plans to. That was the way we worked, Katniss and I... wordlessly. She looked different than I had remembered from the night at the party. She looked older somehow. Maybe that was just the toll of the hunger games. She had walked through a living nightmare, after all.

As I stared at my best friend, the girl I used to know so well, the girl with chocolate hair and fire for a personality, the girl who I had grown to know, grown to respect, grown to love, I wondered if I would ever figure out my feelings for her and Madge. I wondered if I would ever be able to separate the two of them. They seemed to be pressed together in my brain. Like two different colors of clay. Once you mix them together, you'll never again be able to separate them, no matter how hard you try.

And then, I had an idea. A way to figure this all out for once and for all. A way to pick apart the pieces. And as she was in the middle of babbling on about something, I leaned forward and kissed her. It was quick and warm and slow. That was it. We pulled away and I said, "I had to do that. Just once."

Her kiss was nice, yeah. But it wasn't like kissing Madge. It didn't make my world stop spinning, it didn't fill me with an uncontrollable fire and a burning desire that could not possibly be stopped. It didn't make my heart stop beating or my head spin around in circles. It didn't defy all the odds. My choice was suddenly simple and clear, the clay pulling apart with ease now: Madge. It had to be Madge. It was always Madge.

I waited until later to sneak behind her house. I wasn't exactly sure how I would get her attention without waking up her parents. Her father hated me I was sure. I had made a fool of myself at his party. I had made a fool of Madge, too. I closed my eyes and leaned against the cool brick of her house. _I was such an idiot._

"Why don't you ever go away? You're everywhere." Her voice made me eyes shoot open. I stared at her in front of me and my breath caught in my throat. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, loose strands falling in front of her face. She had on a light pink nightgown that ended just above her knees. It was falling off her right shoulder and I could see her collarbone. I squeezed the fabric of my pants in my hands to keep myself sane.

"Hey, Madge." I said with a hesitant smile.

She crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. "I am about to send my father out here. You really don't want that, Gale. So you should just leave. Leave me alone."

"I can't. I... I wish I could." I said, finding her eyes.

She locked eyes with my own for a long moment before she dropped her gaze uncomfortably. "I didn't know what the hell I was getting into, Gale. When I became friends with you... when I fell for you. When we started sneaking around... I had no idea. And now, after you show up drunk at my house and embarrass me and my family and yourself, you hide out behind my house and tell me you can't stay away from me?" Her voice was full of hurt and confusion and I hated myself for it all. For all the pain I had caused. She swallowed hard and finished with. "Are you _insane_?"

I took a step towards her and she took a step back. I sighed and shoved my hands into my pockets. "_I am_. I am _completely_ insane." I found myself smiling. And then, out of nowhere, I was laughing. Hysterically. I couldn't stop, either. I was utterly insane. Because I had gone and done the one damn thing I never wanted to do; I had fallen for Madge. I had fallen for her gorgeous hair and her ocean eyes and her pinks lips that she never stopped licking. I had fallen for her fire and her heart and her masked bravery. I had hated her. I had hated her so much and now... now I was...

"Why are you laughing?" She asked me with her eyes narrowed. She truly thought I was a nut case. I was cracking up in front of her like a lunatic. No, she didn't just think I was a nut case. I actually _was_ a nut case.

"Because..." I said between laughs. "Because I love you! I love the stupid, prissy, and sometimes aggravating Mayor's Daughter and that is just... oh, that is just great." I couldn't stop laughing now for the life of me. And it didn't even occur to me that I had just, not only told her I loved her, but I had also told myself. And it was hilarious.

Madge took a step forward putting her hand to my chest. "What did you just say?" She asked me quietly.

I was able to calm back down, my laughs fading away and leaving a permanent smirk on my face. I grabbed hold of her face in my hands, cupping it. My thumbs brushed against her cheeks and I said in a whisper. "I, Gale Hawthorne, love you, Madge Undersee. And if that is not the funniest damn thing I have ever said, then I don't know what is." I was fighting the urge to laugh once more.

It was Madge's turn to laugh, though. She giggled once and then I pulled her into my lips before she had time to laugh anymore. Because every second she wasn't pressed against my lips was a second I regretted. And as we kissed and kissed under the moonlight, a thought occurred to me.

Lines. I had drawn so many lines in my life. Line after line. Most people saw them but they didn't care enough to take the risk and figure out a way to cross them. I had been alive for eighteen years and nobody was willing to figure me out. I supposed Katniss had came close to the lines but even she didn't take the leap.

I had spent my entire life drawing lines, daring people to cross them. Madge Undersee was the first person who ever did.

And I loved her for it.

And for every other damn thing.

* * *

_A/N: Clearly, I SUCK at updating and I guarantee, NOBODY is still reading but oh well. I got random inspiration to update this today. It's short and probably lame but I tried. I really don't know where to take the story from here but I will try my hardest to figure it out. I hadn't really thought the entire plot through when I stared writing. It's hard to stop a Gadge story because... like, this could go through them in catching fire. But I don't know if I have the time to do that. So.. perhaps just a few more chapters? Sound good? Okay_

_Sorry again for taking 20 years to update. I've been busy with my other Gadge story! (Blurring The Lines, it's a sequel to Only One. Check it out, if you haven't.)_

_Thanks to anyone who is still reading! I like you :)_


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